Calm down, Dongue will return

SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - Only five Mozambique players that represented the country at 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship are set to compete at the upcoming AfroBasket 2015 and sections of local fans are considering it a lack of patriotism.

They presented their reasons to sit out the African championship in Yaounde, Cameroon from 24 September-3 October.

Ana Flavia de Azinheira has retired and is now serving as the country's Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth.

Anabela Cossa, Catia Halar, Filomena Micato, Rute Muianga and Leia Dongue are all injured.

But Dongue's absence has been described as unacceptable and has generated heated debates not only on social media, but all over the national media.

Critics argue that Dongue should have been re-examined by the national team's medical team and reportedly this has not been the case.

But, calling Dongue 'ungrateful and [a] traitor' for her absence from the national team seems senseless to me.

Okay, Dongue was voted Mozambique's Athlete of the Year 2013. She was also the Most Valuable Player of the 2014 African Clubs Cup for Women, and remains one of the best Africa-born players making her living playing professional basketball in Africa.

But she's worked hard for such recognition. 

I understand the frustration that local observers as well as journalists feel in seeing Dongue sitting out her first AfroBasket Women since she made her debut with the senior team at the age of 18 in 2009 in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

After all, Dongue is a player that rose to the occasion when Mozambique needed her most in recent years.

However, I believe regarding her absence as a national matter is too much. 

The understanding that Dongue is the saviour of the team makes no sense in a team sport such as basketball.  

Mozambique opened their preparations in July in Maputo before they concluded their training camp in Turkey. 

Up until last week, I thought there might have been a turn of events, and some of those veteran players - including Dongue - could have recovered and re-joined the team. But this seems unlikely to happen.

As one of the few female professional basketball players in the country, Dongue's agenda sooner or later would collide with the Federation's plans because cases like hers have become familiar in recent years in African basketball scene. 

The 24-year-old had a long and exhausting season which seemed prone for injuries. 

Last year, Dongue spent the entire summer travelling around Europe and Asia with the national team preparing for the Women's World Championship in Turkey.

Then, in October, she re-joined her club Primeiro D'Agosto in Angola with whom she travelled around Africa for a number of weeks.

So when she received a call to start the national team's preparation in July to play at AfroBasket Women 2015 later this month, Dongue might have thought that she needed time to recharge her energies and heal her injury.

However, she is not the only professional basketball player who has decided to take some time off from the national team duty for whatever reason.

Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Kevin Durant, just to mention a few, have in the past withdrawn from their national teams in order to recover from injuries.

Dongue's absence from the national team is not the end of the world for Mozambique. She should be back sooner rather than later.

Perhaps, those criticising Dongue's current situation should think about the likes of Vania Sengo, Vilma Covane and newly-crowned MVP of Mozambique's national championship, Ornelia Mutombene.

These players surely can't wait to make their debut with the senior national team and they should be encouraged to do so.

Dongue's case reminds me that one of Venezuela's best player, Greivis Vasquez, who decided to sit out the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.

Critics did not accept his absence lightly.

But, against the odds, Venezuela went on to upset Canada in the Semi-Finals before clinching their first-ever continental title with a 76-71 victory over super favourites Argentina.

All that historic success happened without Vasquez on the roster.

Former Venezuela international Yvan Olivares stepped forward to defend Vasquez.

In an interview with local daily newspaper Lider, Olivares stated: "I ask the country to stop criticising him. Negative commentaries destroy us as a nation."

And Vasquez might return for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Let time tell us how valuable Sengo, Covane Mutombene could become for Mozambique.

"We miss her on the team," Muianga told me on Sunday when I asked her about Dongue's absence.

"We just need to stick to our game plan, play with the sense of togetherness in order to beat our tough opponents. I wish luck to my fighters."

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

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