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The national men’s basketball team, Silverbacks is supposed to be in Luanda, Angola for their last three games of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Qualifiers.
The last one week was filled with positive vibes about Ugandan basketball, women’s basketball to be precise.
The Uganda Gazelles put up a commendable performance, finishing second behind Egypt in the Fiba women’s Zone V AfroBasket Qualifiers held in Kampala.
And just when Ugandans thought the Gazelles had done enough to make the country proud, Fuba President Nasser Sserunjogi came in with a hint on the team actually going to AfroBasket, with a wild card.
Fiba Africa is yet to confirm the development but Sserunjogi says he has assurance from the powers that be.
But those celebrations might soon fade as Ugandan basketball enters yet another phase of national teams and financial difficulties.
The national men’s basketball team, Silverbacks is supposed to be in Luanda, Angola for their last three games of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Qualifiers.
But all indications show it might be impossible to pull it off, and if the team manages to travel, it will be ill prepared.
The team has not trained and players are still all over the world.
With players like Ishmail Wainright, Arthur Kaluma and Adam Seiko definitely out due to commitments with their teams, it is mainly the European based and local lads that the team is supposed to rely on.
Brandon Davies, Jonathan Komagum and Emmanuel Womala are some of the players in Europe.
The likes of Jimmy Enabu, Tony Drileba, James Okello, Fayed Baale and Titus Lual usually constitute the locally based lot.
Same old story
The Silverbacks are now synonymous with ill or no preparations at all before major events.
And it all starts with lack of funds to prepare the team.
That was the case before the 2021 AfroBasket in Kigali, Rwanda but the team went on to finish sixth.
In these particular qualifiers, the team has not had the opportunity to train together before any window of games.
In fact, the last trip to Angola was a lot more complicated. Davies and Womala only met up with the team in the hotel lobby on the way to the first game.
Robinson was still on the road from Luanda to Benguela when the Silverbacks were falling to Mali in the opening game.
Uganda beat Cape Verde in that window and that is the only win George Galanapolous’ side boast of up until now.
There were still no sufficient preparations for the team ahead of the second window in Kigali, Rwanda.
And that produced two losses but Uganda progressed to the next stage after Mali forfeited all her games due to a players’ strike.
No chance
Defeats to Côte d'Ivoire, Angola and Guinea in the previous window left Uganda on the base of Group E and with no chance of qualification.
With games against the same opponents Friday to Sunday in Luanda, it remains to be seen whether the Silverbacks will make the trip, and if they do, in what state they be before action.
It is also important to note that appearing on the fixture and forfeiting is no small crime before Fiba, the international basketball governing body.
It comes with severe ramifications that include a ban and hefty fines.
Whichever way you look at it, Fuba and the Silverbacks are not in a good place.
Fiba Basketball World Cup Qualifiers
Silverbacks fixtures
Uganda vs. Angola (Friday February 24th 2023)
Côte d'Ivoire vs. Uganda (Saturday February 25th 2023)
Uganda vs. Guinea (Sunday, February 26th 2023
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