Squad: Stephen Omony, Joseph Ikong, Jimmy Enabu, Ben Komakech, James Okello, Jonathan Egau, Cyrus Kiviri, Jonah Otim, Sam Ociti, Sam Kalwanyi, A'Darius Pegues & Robinson Odoch, Stanley Mugerwa
Coaches: Mande Juruni, Omar Barajab and George Galanopolous
Betway Power captain Joseph Ikong will be one of the domestic league players when the national men’s basketball team Silverbacks lines up in Senegal for the 2017 AfroBasket Championships.
The guard will be joined by seven other National Basketball League players summoned by coach Mandy Juruni. This was made possible after government honored its pledge of funding the team to the tune of a USH429m. There had been fears about government’s readiness to honor the pledge in time after they only released money to the 2015 men and women editions in Tunisia and Cameroon respectively long after the teams had returned home.
The situation is different this time round with the Silverbacks set to depart on Thursday for a two-week training camp in Egypt. “We are grateful that we will be able to go ahead with our training camp,” national team committee head Muhammed Santur stated this week despite waiving local based players training that was due to start at the beginning of the month. In Egypt, Santur expects the team to be joined by Sam Ociti, Sam Kalwanyi, A'Darius Pegues and Robinson Odoch.
The first three are expected to boost the team’s front court department with the much travelled Ociti having been one of two standout performers alongside Stephen Omony for the Silverbacks at the 2015 edition. The team will also be able to call on the experience of former City Oilers’ center Samuel Kalwanyi who has since moved to Wayland Baptist University in the US. As the country seeks to build on the 15th place finish of the 16-team tournament at the previous edition, the Silverbacks will also have an improved technical team.
Improved technical team
George Galanopolous who is part of NBA franchise Dallas Mavericks’ coaching staff as an associate coach of their D-League Texas Legends will act as head coach. He will be assisted by UAE based Omar Barajab, who is a certified FIBA coaches’ instructor and who was a member of the Silverbacks team in 2015. The pair will work alongside Mandy Juruni who guided the team through the Zone V championships.
The Silverbacks are pitted against 2015 finalists Angola, Morocco and Central African Republic in Group B that will be based in Dakar Senegal.