MOMBASA NOTEBOOK: TOO LOUD TO SLEEP

The #TeamNoSleep hash tag is one of the most popular on social media in Uganda. You were probably reading it just before you read.
How many even know that it’s a name of a group of musicians? I bet you do. Teams here would have wanted to belong to #TeamNoSleep, at least literally.
Sunday night was the moment to join, thanks to Strathmore University rugby players who have been living at Sai Rock over the weekend.
There had been taking part in a 7s rugby tournament, the Driftwood 7s.
When it ended on Sunday, they returned to the hotel.
Everyone knew they were still residents as they shouted through the night. You just couldn’t sleep, perhaps #TeamNoSleep should have warned the players.

NO CROWDS AT ALL!
The Makupa Gym owned by the Kenya Ports Authority is small. Besides the floor, there isn’t much space for fans to sit or stand.
There is just two steps. Perhaps, being a community centre inside the KPA housing estate it wasn’t designed to attract big crowds.
But even then, no one is coming to watch the ongoing Fiba Africa Zone V Club Championship.
Yesterday’s opening ceremony and game between Uganda women’s champions KCCA Leopards and Rwanda’s APR was attended by only players and officials.
Uganda is miles ahead, at least in terms of crowds. However, the KPA facility makes your heart sink for the lack of one reliable one in Kampala.

CLEARING AND MORE CLEARING
Organisation has never a strength of many African teams or countries.
Some will argue that it’s not only an African thing.
After all, India only delivered the 2010 Commonwealth Games on time.
And well Brazil were reported to be in a near-crisis before the 2014 World Cup.
Somehow, the fears created never affect events. While Mombasa has done a wonderful job with organisations, teams and the secretariat are days behind.
Minutes before the Fiba Africa Zone V Club Championship tournament tipped off yesterday, most team managers were still getting players cleared with commissioners. There was a frenzy.

ROADWORK TO BOND

Players are often so eager to play that they don’t love the process of preparation moreso on the morning of the match.
As the Fiba Africa Zone V Club Championship tipped off yesterday here, they were in for a surprise before sunrise.
Former national league champions UCU Lady Canons were the first to hit the road, running for at least 30 minutes at considerable pace from 5am.
An hour later, Tiger Head Power had their morning run across the sandy beaches.
It wasn’t planned or communicated so the knock of coach Bernes Ankunda at players’ doors was nagging to say the least.
They did and there weren’t as many regrets as at the point of Ankunda’s knock at 5.45am.