KNOW YOUR STARS: Rugby ace Al Hajji Manano is a legend among legends

Al Hajji Manano is a living testimony that with resilience, hard work, discipline and keeping eyes on the prize, one can achieve whatever they set out to do, and sometimes, even more. 

Manano takes us on his life’s journey where we get to cruise along and see the fruits, the tears and ear markings of his successful journey in the navigations of the rugby game.

He is a Junam by tribe with roots in Pakwach district in North Western Uganda, who grew up in Naguru in a family of 7 siblings where he is the fourth born.

His most notable stage in education is his time at Hannah Mixed Secondary School where his love for the rugby game began to take shape, thrusting him into the Ugandan sports limelight.

 “I began playing as early as Senior Three in 2010, though I mostly prioritized soccer and athletics, which I thought was my calling,” reminisces Manano.

According to him, it gradually dawned on him that his love for rugby outshone what he thought was his passion for other sports. By 2013 in his S.6 vacation, he had accepted and embraced rugby as his sport of choice.

He nostalgically remembers the day of his initiation like it was yesterday.

“I had gone to watch my friends play rugby for Boks Rugby Club the junior team of Kobs and that was when I was invited to play for the team they were playing against, The Sailors rugby team; now this was my first foot into the professional world of rugby,” Manano recalls.

He hasn’t looked back since then. He has since grown in the game, playing both locally and internationally, representing Uganda on different levels like the Africa Cup, and Victoria Cup among others. Manano’s rugby prowess earned him the captaincy for the Under 19 team at some point.

2016 marked the beginning of his journey with Kobs Rugby Club which just elevated him and enabled him to reach even greater heights of his career and he has never turned back since then.

On what inspired him to play rugby, Manano credits his childhood friends and joyful neighbours in the Naguru suburb where he grew up.

Manano lets us in on his secret to juggling work, rugby and social life.

“I keep on schedule. When it is time for work, it is time for work and when it is time for the game, it is time for the game. The work schedules also have a specific time that they end at 5 pm giving me ample time to practise and show up for my team,” says somberly.

Like any other human being, Manano has had his highs and lows in the game.

He recalls the lowest moment of his career as at the beginning of his career when his team at Hannah Mixed School lost a game to Kyambogo College in high school because the team was fatigued and the game was in the middle of the week.

His highest moment was when the Uganda Sevens won Africa Cup in Nairobi; something that was happening for the very first time in the history of Uganda. He was so happy since it was even his first time to make the squad.

Like the rest of the KOBs players and fans, Manano is ecstatic about the club sponsorship from KCB. He says it is a big opportunity for the club because they have been depending on the good hearts of the well-wishers of the club for the last 2 years.

The team looks at this as inspiration and hope to see both the brand and team growing and staying alive together.

To the youth aspiring to join any sport and excel, Manano emphasizes working hard, staying focused, keeping dreams alive and also always believing in oneself.