Wheelchair-bound basketball player inching his way towards stardom

By Busi Vilakazi

Jack Mokgosi from Bez Valley lives by a simple rule: never allow your circumstances to prevent you from reaching your dream.

Diesel Electric Service Eagles‘ small forward player Jack is passionate about wheelchair basketball.

It is evident from the sacrifices he makes to play the sport.

He said he started playing basketball in 2000 and has never looked back.

“Basketball is my life and for me, every day is all about becoming a better player. The sport has made an impact on my life in so many ways.

“I grew up in Kimberly – a place where all the negative things can easily influence a young man’s life. Basketball saved me,” said Jack.

He said when he started playing basketball he did not think that he would be playing for the national team one day.

“When I first tried, I was told I’m short and I will never make the team. When I was selected in 2015 it was a wonderful feeling and confirmation that I should never give up on my dreams,” he said.

Jack finds it difficult to fully commit himself to the sport because he still works during the day and can only train after work.

“One of my biggest wishes is to play overseas,” said Jack.

He said to be a good player you need to be fit which requires a lot of gym time and practice.

“We don’t practise every day as a team. We only train twice a week and that is challenging. We need to practise more because more practice means improving our skills. I put in 23 hours of training every week and this is still not enough because I train after work,” he said.

Jack is self-motivated and that has enabled him to face the challenges wheelchair basketball pose.

“You need to be focused and know your goals. You must not make excuses because that creates room for failure. You must always motivate yourself to reach your goals and remember that nothing is easy,” said Jack.

Asked about his obvious love for wheelchair basketball and where it started, Jack said: “I loved how they moved during play. The movement of the players convinced me to take up basketball. At first I played for fun. But the more I played, the more I fell in love and the rest is history,” said Jack.