National Basketball League Friday games
City Oilers vs. Sharing Youth
Falcons vs. JKL Dolphins
Betway Power will be able to count on Ivan Lumanyika when the Fiba Zone V Clubs Champions Cup starts at the Lugogo Arena on October 01. The centre/ power forward is without a club after being released at the end of the first round by KIU Titans. He has consequently been training with the five-time champions since last week ahead of the weeklong tournament.
The former UCU Canons player Lumanyika’s ability has never been in question having previously featured for the national team Silverbacks and will bring more competition to a frontcourt that appeared depleted. Michael Kojo and Francis Kasinde are the other options that coach Arnold Lando was expected to rely on. Burundian Willy Nijimbere is the other high profile addition that the five-time domestic champions added onto the team as Uganda hosts the tournament for the first time since 2012.
Power last featured at the tournament in 2015 where they were semifinalists in Rwanda. City Oilers are meanwhile the reigning holders of the tournament whose winner will qualify for the Fiba Clubs Champions Cup later this year. Most foreign clubs and countries have over the years been exploiting the rule that permits a naturalized player on every team.
As they seek to improve on last year's ninth place finish on the continent, City Oilers are following suit. Mexico based A'Darius Pegues is expected to fill that void having returned with the Silverbacks from the Afrobasket tournament in Senegal last week where he also filled the same slot. He is expected to be joined by other foreign based players Stanley Ocitti and Robinson Opong Odoch.
The former has featured for the Silverbacks at the last two AfroBasket campaigns while Odoch who also has Ugandan lineage made his debut at the just concluded edition in Senegal. UCU Lady Canons and KCCA Leopards will represent the country in the women’s category of the tournament that will run October 01-07 at Lugogo Arena.
This week City Oilers who were tasked by Fuba to organize the event unveiled sponsors including Stanbic Bank and Madela Group.