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From Kisugu dust to hoops peak, Nam Blazers is an enduring story

Nam Blazers brought new fans to the game. PHOTOS/JOHN BATANUDDE  

What you need to know:


From humble beginnings to national prominence, the Blazers embody resilience and community spirit, their influence stretching far beyond the court

There was no Namuwongo Blazers before 2014, yet the seeds for the basketball club that captured the nation’s attention in 2022 - pushing the mighty City Oilers to the brink in a nail-biting Game Seven of the national championship - were sown as far back as the 1990s.

Club CEO Daniel Muttu Obol recalls those early days vividly. Growing up near the African Gospel Church basketball court in Kisugu, he and his friends, including current coach Stephen ‘Escodata’ Nyeko, honed their skills in pick-up games on that very court.

“We learned basketball there and built a brotherhood,” Obol told the Daily Monitor. “In 2014, we decided to organise ourselves into a club and start competing.”

The spiritual home of Nam Blazers, as they are fondly called, has a storied connection with Namuwongo residents, including their patron, Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, whose private residence is right next to the court and sometimes watched games long before his judicial ascent.

Journey to the top

Today, the Blazers have evolved into a formidable force in Ugandan basketball. 

Operating out of Abja Park in Naalya under the stewardship of Obol and club president George Nkia, who owns the sports complex, the Blazers boast a dedicated team of professionals, including manager Grace Buwooza and coach Nyeko, who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

From humble beginnings to national prominence, the Blazers embody resilience and community spirit, their influence stretching far beyond the court. 

The club’s commitment to uplifting lives is evident in its outreach programs, such as basketball clinics for refugees. 

Recently, part of the team spent time inspiring refugees at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, spreading the love of the game and hope for a brighter future.

On the court, their story is one of grit and determination. After navigating the challenging terrain of lower-division basketball, the Blazers earned promotion to the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2019, a pivotal moment in their history.

Nam Blazers Innocent Ochera (L) drives the ball against KIU's Kasesera Thembo. 

The epic finals battle

Their debut season, however, faced unforeseen hurdles. The much-anticipated 2020 campaign was derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the team and their fans in limbo.

When the league resumed in 2021, Nam Blazers finally got their taste of top-tier basketball, but the season was cut short after just seven games due to a resurgence of the pandemic.

Despite these setbacks, the team was unknowingly building the resilience needed to redefine Ugandan basketball.

By 2022, City Oilers had dominated the NBL for seven consecutive years, and fans across the country were yearning for a fresh narrative.

Enter Nam Blazers, a team whose rise to prominence injected new energy into the league.

They stormed through the regular season, finishing atop the table, and dispatched KCCA Panthers and KIU Titans in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, setting up a highly anticipated finals clash with the mighty Oilers.

When Namblazers took to the court, the Lugogo Indoor Arena became a cauldron of passion. Their games were sell-out affairs, drawing not only their loyal fans but also neutral supporters eager for a new champion to emerge.

On finals nights, the arena brimmed with energy, leaving standing room only as fans rallied behind the underdogs.

Facing the Oilers in the finals was a monumental challenge. This was the Oilers’ domain, where their experience and composure often proved decisive.

Yet, the David Deng and Paul Odong-inspired Namblazers, buoyed by a fervent fan base and undeniable quality on the court, pushed the defending champions to the brink.

The seven-game series was a basketball masterclass, culminating in a heart-stopping Game Seven. The arena was so packed that coaches from both teams could barely find space on the sidelines.

The game swung back and forth, with the Blazers matching the Oilers - who had Francis Azolibe top-score for the champions with 24 points and 12 rebounds - play for play.

With the Oilers having a four-point lead and only 0.6 seconds separating them from another championship, Jimmy Enabu fouled Deng from the perimetre.

Deng made the first two free throws and intentionally missed the last shot to give his side the chance to rebound and force overtime.

Unfortunately for the Blazers, Odong’s shot drew the iron and went out as the buzzer signalled the Oilers' continued dominance with their eighth championship title in the 66-64 victory.

Nyeko on what could have been

The Blazers coach, Nyeko, also one of the founding members of the club, led the team from the bottom to this peak stage.

Nyeko was not even a qualified coach when he started out with them, just another homeboy helping out his community team. 

But the former player with Bush Court and KCCA has since done his badges and is confidently doing his role. 

Yet, with hindsight, he believes Game Seven of that finals against the Oilers could have been different if he had made some crucial adjustments.

“Basketball is about adjustments,” Nyeko explained. “In Game Seven, I should have made a strategic change, like bringing in Richard Ongom to counter Francis Azolibe, who was a key difference-maker. 

“My decision to stick with Carmelo (Saidi Amisi), who was outmatched, cost us. Azolibe’s performance - easily scoring at the hoop and on the line - highlighted the need for better in-game strategy.”

Despite the heartbreak, the Blazers, who lost the series 4-3, had achieved something extraordinary. "We came out and really, really changed the face of basketball," reflected CEO Obol.

"Basketball has always had a dedicated fan base, but in recent years, the numbers have thinned. We brought energy, togetherness, and a sense of community ownership that reignited the sport."

From finals to sitting out play-offs

Nam Blazers continued their impressive form the following campaign in 2023, finishing the regular season in second place. But something happened, and not for the first time, their season went up in flames.

National basketball governing body Fuba, in a bid to facilitate future Ugandan representatives to the Basketball Africa League (Bal), made a decision in August 2023 not to have a representative in the upcoming continental competition.

With playing at Bal being Namblazers and their partners' major dream since they came to top-flight basketball, the team saw no motivation in playing the 2023 play-offs.

“It’s painful,” Obol explained. “But again, where sport is going, for me I believe people are investing in the game, the media are investing in the game, there needs to be some sanity.

“So for us, people misjudge us when we try to step aside, but we were just calling for sanity in the game.”

Obol added: “We felt it was unfair to just come out when we are already into the playoffs. Actually, we were playing our last game before the playoffs, and they made an announcement that they were trying to align the calendar.

“I’ve said it time and again that we expected about four things: number one, had the federation told us that it was an ex-com decision and everybody signed to it, we would go ahead and play the games. 

Or had they said that, okay, Fiba sent in a letter at midnight, we would have still played. Or as stakeholders - and big stakeholders, call us to the table and we have a discussion. We just felt like things were being taken for granted."

Fuba make case

At the time, Fuba CEO Marcus Kwikiriza said the reason for their decision not to have a Ugandan representative at Bal that year was to allow the 2024 league to start in January to align with the governing body's potential sponsors’ planning.

“All teams in Africa these days have one goal in mind, and that is Bal, whose league starts post-October,” explained Kwikiriza. 

“If our league is still going on in October, the winning team doesn’t have enough time to prepare for Bal. But if we start in January, the league will end in June/July, which gives enough time to all the teams that have won to prepare for Bal. So our decision wasn’t selfish or malicious.”

It has been quite a journey for Nam Blazers. 

The decisions of Fuba to tweak the calendar, Nam Blazers claimed, left them in an awkward position with some of their sponsors because qualifying for Bal was the ultimate target on which these partnerships were secured.

“Of course, we’ve got a number of challenges as a club,” Obol elaborated. “But I think every club in this country gets that. 

“There’s always a challenge we have in basketball of self-sufficiency of clubs, and because I run a basketball club, I will tell you, there’s not a single coin that you get from the sport, you just put in money. Nothing like gate collections.”

Obol, who replaced another long-time Nam Blazers servant, Farouk Zinda, added: “But we have come back bigger and better, and we have been able to partner with lots of people over the years, like Motorola Solutions, Samanga, and Britam among others.”

Fan perspective

Mark Labong, commonly referred to as Pepe, has been a Nam Blazers fan for as long as he can recall, and is responsible for enhancing fan experience.

“Once we got into NBL, we had to become professional in everything,” he said. “Things started changing. We started recruiting people here and there, and we are now in a much better place.”

“My role is to ensure a good fan experience, ensure there is merchandise, tickets and all. Things like fans purchasing jerseys online are a work in progress.

“It is very refreshing to know that Namuwongo Blazers fans are from all over the country. It’s not just those that hail from Namuwongo. Everyone who loves basketball should love Nam Blazers because of our enduring story. And we play good basketball.”

Oilers remain benchmark

CEO Obol understands that the challenge of dethroning Oilers remains the ultimate test.

“We know the responsibility we have but also we appreciate the fact that these things require lots of money, which the Oilers have,” said Obol.

“We have to become self-sustaining, and one of those ways is getting our own home, which we are working on. But for now, we keep the fight on, and one day we are going to be champions.”

The Blazers, spurred by the retiring captain, Odong, Michael Makiadi, Joseph Chuma, Innocent Ochera, Peter Cheng, and Daniel Gaaki, among others, finished the last regular season in third but lost the playoffs’ semi-finals 3-2 to KIU Titans.

With the grapevine indicating that they are lining up tested and proven Jimmy Enabu, Tony Drileba, and James Okello - all champions with City Oilers - Nam Blazers are definitely having another go at it this year.

Nam Blazers 2024 roster 

Peter Cheng

Ochera Innocent 

Michael Makiadi 

Arthur Wanyoto

Daniel Gaaki

Jimmy Williams

Joseph Chuma

Paul Odong

Chuol Nyuot

Geoffrey Soro

Richard Ongom

Elly Okello

Nasser Guddi

Wadaya Blair

Alfred Okello

Diopa Lukusa

League milestones

2024: NBL Semifinalists

2023: NBL Regular Season Runners-Up 

2022: NBL Finalists 

2022: Regular Season Champions 

Some of the prominent Blazers fans

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo

IHK founder Dr. Ian Clarke

Rugby Cranes legend Philip Wokorach