Junior Silverbacks, Gazelles head to Egypt

The national U-16 basketball teams, Silverbacks and Gazelles, will set off to Egypt on Thursday for the Fiba Afrobasket Championship.

The two teams have barely prepared and only have three days' training in their bodies having entered camp on Monday.

With basketball and sport in general heavily hit by the Covid-19, the two sides haven't played in a while but the federation chose to have the players get the experience of playing at this level.

“It is important that the players get the opportunity to play at such a level,” Fuba president Nasser Sserunjogi told the press at the team’s flag off held Wednesday at the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) offices in Lugogo.

Ten boys and 11 girls were selected for the trip and the coaches are confident of getting positive results despite the challenges.

“It is going to be tough because we haven’t had sufficient time to prepare,” the boys’ head coach Ronnie Mutebi told Daily Monitor.

“We will try to do our best as a team to ensure we get to the later stages of the tournament,” he added.

The seventh edition of Fiba U16 African Championship will take place from August 6-15, and will serve as a qualifier for the Fiba U-17 World Championship 2022.

The winner and the runners-up will book their tickets for next year’s World Cup.

The federation has struggled to raise money for the two sides and must look for more to send the senior men’s team to Kigali, Rwanda for the Fiba Afrobasket.

The trip for the two junior sides is majorly funded by corporate companies with government only providing Shs7.4m for Covid-19 tests.

Stanbic Bank chipped in with Shs15m while Dott Services added Shs20m. Parliament of Uganda (Shs10m), Mandela Group (Shs10m), Ham Enterprises (Shs10m), Madhvani Group (Sh6m) and Kampala Capital City Authority (Shs4m).

Some of the parents also chipped in with contributions.

JUNIOR SILVERBACKS

1. Shane Favour Siima Birunji

2. Matthew Kisaakye

3. Joel Muwonge

4. Emmanuel Omara

5. Brighton Galiwango

6. Fahad Ssempebwa

7. Yuhi Rukikaire

8. Dada Benedict Olusegun

9. Ethan Bulenzi

10. Clarence Mayengo Ssekawu

JUNIOR GAZELLES

1. Mary Priscilla Nambogo

2. Sarah Namale

3. Bernadette Babirye Nalweyiso

4. Zoe Atek

5. Mariam Namukwaya

6. Christine Namyalo

7. Christine Saima

8. Darlene Elsa Murungi Tashobya

9. Gertrude Nyamutoro

10. Sharon Lamwaka

11. Immaculate Adongpiny

Officials

1. Hudson Ssegamwenge – Head of Delegation

2. Ambrose Tashobya – Official

3. Joy Abooki Oringa – Fiba Commisioner

4. Monica Nasuuna – Fiba Referee

5. Brian Ssebalamu – Fiba Referee

6. Isaac Gabriel Otuk – Team Doctor