Bombers likely to skip Bingwa wa Mabingwa

Last week, the Silverbacks, the national basketball team, left it late, really… really late, to make the Afrobasket qualifiers in Egypt.

“We have a good relationship with service providers who gave us air tickets on credit,” Nasser Sserunjogi, the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (Fuba), told 933Kfm Sports.

The team left on Saturday, two days late, after failing to secure the ‘expected’ $100,000 (Shs370m) government support through National Council of Sports (NCS).

Taking such credit risks is something many within Ugandan sports administration are familiar with. Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) are not willing to do it again, for now.

This week is decisive in whether the national boxing team, the Bombers, will take part in the annual Bingwa wa Mabingwa tournament in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

“I am not positive that we will take part,” Ubf president Moses Muhangi said ahead of the annual regional event set for December 5-12.

The bombers’ budget is Shs250m.

“We are not going to wait until the final moments to decide whether to participate. We have written to NCS but haven’t got a response,” Muhangi said.

“Previously, we used to borrow money, but when you submit your expenses including loan arrears, NCS wil not consider that. It makes it hard.

“I’m giving it one week though time is against us as we’ve not been able to train as a team yet. We requested for the gym to be availed to us but it’s still closed,” he added.

A frustrated Muhangi revealed that the federation’s partners are challenged because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“If we don’t get money in the week ahead, then we will pull out. The plan was to train here then arrive in Dar on December 3 before the tournament starts,” he explained.