Nairobi News

“No sport tells of our collective history like cricket. It’s a sport taught in every land that Her Majesty’s Royal Fleet landed. Even in the dusty plains of Doldol, Kenya.”

This is how Amunga Eshuchi weaved the caption to the picture that won him the prestigious Commonwealth Photographer of the Year award.

The striking photo of a Maasai man playing cricket on the plains of Doldol arrested the eye-balls of a panel of judges who spent weeks poring through hundreds of dazzling pictures from 37 countries.

Eshuchi’s caption continues: “Maasai warriors have learnt the game and now travel the world playing in their traditional regalia.

“So cricket is used, not just to promote community through sport but also to use that platform to raise awareness on social issues from their community, growing a more inclusive, knowledgeable Commonwealth.”

Eshuchi, a documentary photo-journalist, was awarded Sh 147,000 (£1,000) as grand prize winner and regional winner for Africa.

He told Nation that it was actually his wife Sharon Eshuchi’s idea to submit this photo for the first photography competition he has ever entered in his life.

“Sharon has always had a soft spot for this photo. So when I told her about this competition and that the theme was about inclusivity, her mind just went for this one,” said Eshuchi.

He added that he also went with his wife’s choice because he felt there isn’t enough content out there that showcases the “New SubSahara”.

“We are still inundated with war, environmental degradation, ISIS, Al Shabaab… I wanted to show that there is more unexpected things happening that are a part of our renaissance,” he said.

WINNING PHOTOGRAPH

The winning photograph was previously featured in Safaricom’s 2016 Capture Kenya calendar, after being selected from pictures taken when three teams travelled across the country to capture the undiscovered treasures in Kenya.

Eshuchi said this particular photograph has often evoked surprising reactions from his audience and fans.

“One of the comments that stands out is about how regal the Maasai batter looks in the picture. Also, the semi-desert landscape in the background gives the composition a certain unexpectedness,” he added.

The ‘Batting Moran’ will be displayed alongside an impressive line-up of powerful images from regional winners and finalists at an exhibition at Commonwealth headquarters in London throughout 2016.

All winning photographs will also feature in a new Commonwealth calendar for 2017.

More of Eshuchi’s gripping works can be accessed on his Instagram and Twitter handles @amungathegreat on and @EnigmaImage.

Another Kenyan, Kevin Mutonga, also scooped the Highly Commended Award after his photograph received the highest number of “likes” on Instagram.

The competition, set up this year, is designed to encourage people to capture the rich diversity of the 53 Commonwealth countries.

Entrants were asked to describe how their photo represented this year’s Commonwealth theme, ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’.