Malachi Ndur, left, with the Central Elgin Titans' senior boys' basketball team, during the TVRA playoffs earlier this year.
(photo / Rob J. Ross)
Thursday, June 8, 2017
By Rob J. Ross
ST. THOMAS, Ont. - Malachi Ndur's ascension in basketball mirrors his growth over recent years, upwards fast.
The St. Thomas native has been named to the under-16 Canadian National men's team, for the International Basketball Association (FIBA) 2017 U16 Americas championship, in Formosa, Argentina, June 14-18.
"I was shocked. It was kind of surreal. My mind was racing, thinking about everything I've done to get to this point." said Ndur, on hearing his selection. "It's an honour that many people don't get to experience in their life. I'm definitely not going to take it for granted."
From a camp featuring over 250 players during the Easter weekend at Humber College, to this past weekend, when Basketball Canada narrowed the field from 20 players down to 17, before finalizing their team roster of 12, Ndur stood out.
"Everything has happened so fast. The past six months have been like a time warp for me. It has just been crazy," said Malachi, the son of Rumun and Angela and brother to 11-year old sister Akadia. "I'm doing what I love to do. It's what every kid my age would dream for. I'm just blessed to be a part of this."
His rise up the basketball ladder has occurred in a relatively short time period. Soccer was the focus for Ndur from the time he could walk up until the summer before high school two years ago.
His height was a factor in changing sports.
"I was really tall as a kid. I stood out. Even when I played basketball for my elementary school (New Sarum public school), I was the tallest kid on the court," Ndur said. "Around the end of grade eight, I thought about it and thought it was time to turn to basketball."
Mom recalls the period when her son switched sports.
"It's really hard to believe," said Angela, recalling Malachi was deep into soccer even playing on a club team in England, before making 'a 180 switch in sports'."
The family had lived overseas while dad, a former NHLer, played hockey in England's pro league.
Malachi Ndur. (photo / contributed)
"He dabbled a little bit in basketball and some friends asked him (to join a team)," Angela said. "He's been growing at a rate of three inches a year and his body really started to scream basketball. He started to grow a new found passion."
Malachi took that passion to Central Elgin Collegiate Institute and the school's basketball coaches noticed right away they had a special player.
"We knew he had a ton of potential and was still raw and had a huge ceiling. He's worked very hard to tap into his skills," Titans' senior coach Ryan Shaw said. "He's a dynamite kid. It will be an amazing experience for him playing for Canada."
Malachi is among this country's up and coming young stars of the hardwood. This summer he is showcasing his game playing for the Northern Kings, a club team based in Toronto.
"It''s been amazing getting to play against the top players in the country, with the coaching staff giving me insight on how I can improve my game and on areas that I'm doing well in."
At the U16 Americas, Canada will play three round robin games. The top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals and thereby also qualify for the FIBA U17 world cup in 2018.
"I'm excited for the experience. Our first game is against Argentina and it should be a huge game, with the crowd into it. I'll mentally prepare myself for that, said Ndur, who is not focused on what his role on the team may be. "You have to earn your minutes. You have to play hard and do what the coaches ask of you. That's how I'm thinking all week, prove to them that I can play and deserve to be on the court. I'm not too worried about playing time."
In September, Ndur will attend Southwest Academy, a basketball prep school based out of Regina Mundi College, in London. Still in grade 10, Ndur is already attracting attention of post secondary schools south of the border.