Tamba Momodu murder: Family pays tribute to 'sweet and caring' aspiring basketball player
The life of a promising young basketball player was cruelly cut short when he was gunned down in Telford last year, and his killer is still being sought by police.
Tamba Momodu, who was only 20, was fatally shot at the Bridges Business Park in Horsehay in October. The police investigation into his death continues.
Today the victim’s family paid tribute to a talented, charismatic and generous young man who played basketball in international competitions.
A statement from the family said: “Tamba was born in Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow on the May 6, 2000. He was the perfect baby, quiet and only cried when he was hungry or needed a nappy change – a beautiful baby boy.
"He lived in Harrow with his parents for many years. He went to Grange Primary School, he then went to Whitmore High School. In Year 10 he was scouted by a London United coach for his talent in playing basketball and offered a place to attend a basketball academy for London United which were in partnership with Harefield Academy secondary school at the time.
“He was so excited about the offer because he wanted to get a scholarship to play in America.
“His first interest in basketball was at age six at Grange Primary School where he joined a basketball club after school.
“Then at Whitmore he joined their basketball club after school, he also played for Blackhawks basketball club at Harrow Leisure Centre on the weekend.
“He then went on to Harefield Academy and played for London United where he went on several trips abroad to play in Poland and Latvia in tournaments, he also played many other schools/tournaments.
“He played basketball at several parks in Harrow, like Harrow Recreation Ground on the weekend and after school, especially in the summer months. He mainly played shooting guard, point guard and defence.
“He came from a good normal family where his mum and dad were both graduates; one in computing and the other in business.
“He was taken to church on Sundays at the Harrow Christian Centre by his mother for several years.
“He loved his family very much, especially family time which was about going to the cinema and eating out. He loved pizza, especially meat feast and garlic bread, and loved his BBQ sauce, but most of all he loved his mum’s Jollof rice. He loved family birthday celebrations as he would say ‘and we are with the family now’ while filming it or taking pictures.
“When it was anyone’s birthday I would give him some money and ask him to go to the shop and buy a gift, he loved going out to choose a nice present for his family members when it was birthday time, or Christmas, Mother’s Day and Easter chocolates.
“He loved watching movies with his family, playing NBA and FIFA games. Most of all I remember him always telling jokes, he was funny, jolly, charismatic, had a great leadership quality when he was playing ball.
“Our family trips to Margate, Ruislip Lido, Legoland, London Zoo, The Science Museum and National History Museum which he loved and some African cultural events and of cause the London Carnival.
“I remember how he took care of his cousin once when she was tired, so he picked her up and carried her on his shoulder and I remember how well he looked after her at the beach front, making sure she didn’t go too far in the water and making sure she didn’t fall and hurt herself.
“I remember how great he was in recent times with his other cousin where he would pick her up from school and make sure she had something to eat when they got home.
"He loved cooking chicken, it was his thing, he liked seasoning it and making it for his family, which was a big relief – when I wasn’t in the mood to cook the chicken I would ask him to do it for me, and he would happily do it and tell me how great his chicken is when he finished cooking it. We would tell jokes about who’s chicken tastes best.
“I remember the time I was having back pain and I bought a lot of shopping but I couldn’t carry it home so I called him and asked him to come and meet me at the shop and help me carry my shopping home, he wasted no time at all and ran down the road to help me with my shopping, I remember how grateful I felt that I had such an amazing son that day as I was in a lot of pain.
“I remember the days I would take him to his GCSE Maths and Science tuition classes, as I was determined to see him get a better grade in Maths and Science, we always talked going there and when I would go and collect him we would talk on the way back, we would stop off at a local shop to buy sweets and Strawberry Ribena on the way home. I was always praying he would get a better grade.
“Tamba has always shown a caring heart, from helping people with their shopping, buying food for the homeless, to doing homework with his cousins who he loved dearly. He showed an interest in fabric technology, coding and computer science and digital marketing. Tamba loved spending time with his family watching comedy shows.
“He was a sweet, caring and beautiful person to all that knew him well.”
“He was always telling his family he loved them and going out of his way to check in on them to make sure they were doing OK. He would see you needed help with household chores and offer to help out without being asked and even check if you needed anything else when he was finished.
"He was very motivated to working towards making a success of his life and he had the inner drive to make that happen.”
