Zone V basketball tournament
Kampala October 01-07
Afrobasket in Senegal and Tunisia 8-16 September
In years past, Betway Power was often accused of a lack of organization with the flaw fronted as one of the reasons for the team’s lacks of silverware in the past six years.
That seems to be different these days. Backed by online betting company Betway since the tail end of last season, the five-time national league champions lead a cast of 11 teams who have already confirmed participation for the October Zone V club championship in Kampala. This includes Uganda’s other representatives reigning Zone V Champions City Oilers, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Ulinzi and Ethiopia’s Hawasa City as the five men’s teams that have so far confirmed taking part.
In the women’s category, the country will be represented by domestic league champions UCU Lady Canons and KCCA Leopards as well as the Kenyan pair of Equity and Kenya Ports Authority. The list sent by continental governing body FIBA Africa however excludes Egyptian champions Gezira who when confirmed, are expected to pose the biggest threat to Ugandan teams.
Power were able to give its roster a more continental look late last month following the acquisition of two-time Zone V winner Willy Nijimbere from Burundi’s regional powerhouse Urunani. The club also boasts of another former Zone V winner in former Co-op Bank team forward Michael Makiadi veteran Diego Angemi and Ugandan international joseph Ikong. The same preparedness cannot be said of the Ugandan national team Silverbacks though.
After securing back to back qualification to the Afrobasket tournament for the first time last year, preparations are not going according to plan for the Mandy Juruni coached side. With less than three weeks to the start of the tournament due in Senegal and Tunisia, domestic basketball governing body FUBA and the national team committee are struggling to raise funds for the team’s training camp.
This was in spite of Government promise through the Minister of State in charge of Sport Honorable Charles Bakkabulindi of helping to foot the team’s bill following their triumph last year. The federation had hoped to have a training camp in Egypt ahead of the tournament where they are pitted in Pool B alongside Angola, Morocco and Central African Republic.