Bad lighting issue cast spotlight on semis series

As clubs take to the Old Kampala Arena for Game Two of the best-of-three National Volleyball League semifinals series, spotlight is on the lighting at facility that has left several teams grambling. Officials say they will look into the issue. 

Even before the National Volleyball League playoffs started, teams had complained about the poor lighting at Old Kampala arena and wanted games played at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
The open part of the arena lets in light when the sun is setting and disadvantages the team on one end of the court.

It was Nkumba that was on the wrong end of the lighting issues last weekend and they surrendered a six-point lead to lose the fourth set and eventually the game to Nemostars.

The university side led 16-10 in the set, having taken the third and were on course to force a decisive final set.

Nemostars were not ready to prolong the game and relied on their experience to remain calm under pressure. They ate up the lead and were in the front seat at 21-19 when Nkumba raised their complaint about the sun affecting their reception.

The players also felt hard done by some calls made by the umpire and even attempted to abandon the game.

It took the intervention of KCB-Nkumba head coach and Uganda Volleyball Federation technical director to call the players back to order.

Head coach Moses Opio told Score after the game: “What brought us problems is the issue of light and then there was a ball attacked outside but the ref said it was on court. My boys are not as experienced as Nemo so that took them off.

“This is playoffs and I understand we have a problem of facilities in the country but this is more like a warehouse.” 

“Nemostars were serving the ball in position one and five because that’s where the light was. So, the boys couldn’t see. This is playoffs and there is no room to come back and correct.”

Opio’s opposite Andrew Okapis is one of the coaches who raised the issue of the poor lighting at the arena and understood where Nkumba were coming from but praised his side for not giving up the set even when a decisive set looked inevitable.

“We struggled overall but it takes maturity and composure to recover.  In my mind I was thinking of decisive but the players didn’t give up,” he said.

“Honestly, the challenge of light is there. The set we lost; the captain told me about it but I told him to play on. The federation should try to improve on the lighting or get us a better facility.”

UVF First vice president Ahmed Kigunddu told Score that the issue would be addressed before today’s action.

Ready to go
Nkumba must recollect themselves and get back on court to save their season. Defeat today will see their season come to an end.

“We played well in the third and fourth sets so we’ll try to build on that,” Opio noted before adding, “Ee started slow in the first two sets and got punished, we have to get out of the blocks early.”
Okapis was impressed by the victory but knows that there have to be improvements going into game two if they are to finish off Nkumba in a clean sweep.

He said: “We struggled to receive and serve in game one but we have tried to work on that and I am confident the players will execute today.”

Three-game series can be punishing. One defeat and the monster of elimination starts staring right away. That is the position Ndejje Elites find themselves in going into today’s clash with KCCA.

Ronald Kitosi’s troops didn’t show up for game one and fell in straight sets.

Senior players Christine Alupo, Belinda Jepkirui and Jesca Kaidu must put in a better shift today for the university side to force a decisive game.

National Volleyball league 

Today- Game two
W -Ndejje     vs.     KCCA    10am
M -Nemostars     vs.     Nkumba    12pm
M- Sport-S     vs.     OBB     2pm
W -Sport-S     vs.     VVC     4pm
Serie B
M -Tigers     vs.     VVC     9am
W -KAVC     vs.     Nemostars     9am
W -OBB     vs.     MUST     11am
M -Sky     vs.     Lira     1pm

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