Meet Elijah Mangeni, a Mumbai Indians fan, and designer of Uganda T20 World Cup jersey

Wanyama Elijah Mangeni was the toast of Ugandan cricket last month after he won the jersey design competition that the Uganda Cricket Association initiated to select their outfit for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup to be held in USA and the West Indies.

The jersey is inspired by Crested Crane, the Uganda national bird, which is also known as Grey Crowned Crane and it sits well with the name of the team, i.e. Cricket Cranes.

In an interview, Elijah Mangeni, who is an M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) specialist and also holds a degree in business administration, spoke to www.theflyslip.online about the story behind the design and himself.

Q. Tell us about yourself….

A. I am a Ugandan and grew up in a big and happy family that nurtured my interest in sport. I was and still am an ardent fan of football, rugby, tennis and cricket. I was first introduced to cricket when I was reading about Australia, a country my father had gone to do his PhD. I later started playing it at Ntare School in Mbarara where I ended up as the school cricket team captain. After high school, I stopped playing but continued following the national teams and international cricket.

Q. Have you played cricket?

A. I have played cricket before during my high-school. I did so for five years. My love for the sport didn't stop when I stopped playing physically. I am a big cricket fan, especially of T20 format. I follow the local league and love watching IPL. I support the Mumbai Indians, of course. I hope I can one day design a kit of theirs. I do watch all cricket formats when I have time to.

Q. How did you enter the competition?

A. I saw the advertisement on Cricket Uganda’s X account (formerly Twitter) and decided to get involved for two reasons. Firstly, because I wanted to be part of history seeing this was a chance to design the kit Uganda will don in their maiden senior men's world cup appearance of any format. Secondly, I co-own a company called AvarcSports that deals in sportswear manufacturing right from design to manufacture. This meant I'd do it with passion so enrolling in the competition was a no brainer.

Q. How long did it take for you to design the jersey?

A. It took me two hours to come up with the design. I was talking to my colleague at AvarcSports as we were bouncing off ideas of what to do. After a few moments of back and forth and also being tired of thinking too much about it, the idea to base it on the Crested Crane, which is also a national symbol, came up. Coincidentally, the national cricket team is called the Cricket Cranes, so doing something that would pay homage to that made sense. AvarcSports is a renowned Ugandan sportswear manufacturing firm that designs bespoke sports experiences through apparel. Our work process involves concept development, design, production (manufacturing) and delivery. We make kits from the ground up with any pattern, colour or fashion. We have been manufacturing kits since 2019.

Q. Can you explain the design of the jersey?

A. I like to explain the thinking behind the kit using the same exact words I have in the narrative, “Unveiling the ‘Cricket Cranes’ kit – where elegance meets strength, mirroring Uganda's resilient spirit”. The bold blend of vibrant colours symbolises unity, echoing the national pride. The jersey, with its feather-inspired patterns, pays homage to the majestic Crested Crane, capturing the essence of grace and power. As the team don this kit, they embody not just a sport but a legacy, soaring towards victory with every flap.

Q. Do you deal in other sports?

A. We have experience of designing and making apparel used in football, rugby, basketball, hockey, handball, badminton, golf, netball, gym-wear just to mention but a few.

Cricket, T20 World Cup, IPL, Mumbai Indians, Uganda