KIU board: Ssali to lead Titans’ new direction pursuit

Mark Ssali

What you need to know:

  • The Kansanga-based side’s biggest achievement thus far is the 2017 playoff final appearance, which they lost 4-0 to the Oilers

KIU Titans have for the large part of the past seven years been one of the clubs that have made a futile attempt at wrestling the national basketball league crown from City Oilers.

The Kansanga-based side’s biggest achievement thus far is the 2017 playoff final appearance, which they lost 4-0 to the Oilers.

The team funded by Fuba president Nasser Sserunjogi, has tried out different approaches. The tried and tested players domestically and in the region led by Suudi Ulanga, Chris Omanye, Ethienne Kazungu and Geoffrey Soro, among others, were swept aside by the Oilers before a return to younger players with potential still bore no fruit.

And now Sserunjogi has changed the administrative approach by introducing a three-man board to help steer the club in a new direction.

“We thought it wise to be organised and have structures in place and move away from the tendency of one-man individual owned clubs whereby if you are not there tomorrow, the club ceases to exist,” Sserunjogi said at the unveiling event held at Lugogo.

On board are three members so far headed by veteran sports journalist and former Silverbacks star Mark Ssali.

“He is very knowledgeable about basketball, has been around for long and we believe his leadership will take us to greater heights,” Sserunjogi said of the former sports editor at Daily Monitor.

Others are Laman Napio Masaba, a banking consultant whose passion for domestic sport has been of huge benefit to football side Proline, as well as Alex Busingye, a seasoned journalist and communications expert.

Ssali, a former league MVP who won the national league with Makerere University in 1995, is eager for the team to challenge with City Oilers in the immediate future.
“We want to get the burden off Nasser’s desk,” he said.

“We are going to ensure we get to a level where we compete for honours not just domestically, help the club develop talent, be able to get to a level where we can challenge City Oilers.”
He said they will look at getting corporate sponsorship as one the priorities.

Serunjogi also announced a new management team with Walter Omule as chief executive and Fanklin Kaweru as the head of communication.
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