KAMPALA – The Uganda Men’s basketball team, Silverbacks have started preparations today, Tuesday-October 5 ahead of their Afrobasket qualifiers.
The team that was announced in the morning started training at the MTN Arena in Lugogo under coaches Mandy Juruni and Brian Watham.
Only the local based players attended Tuesday’s session.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s session, FUBA President Nasser Sserunjogi noted that the players are in good shape and they will start group training immediately.
“These players have been training at a personal level,” noted Sserunjogi.
“Now, our plan is to start group training today. We hope to have everything in place, the Covid19 testing has been taken care of, we have already submitted our budget to the Ministry of Sports and we have been in constant touch.”
The players are expected to train four days a week before departure to Egypt.
The team comprises of 12 local based players and six from outside Uganda.
Twelve of the 18 will make the final squad to Alexandria, Egypt for the qualifying tournament that will take place between November 27-29.
Uganda is in group E alongside the hosts, Morocco and the winner of Zone 3 who will be determined by after a pre-qualifier that will be held in Cameroon.
In Egypt, they will be joined by the foreign based players and will have a two-week camp with coach George Galanapolous.
They will aslo have several build up games in order to boost their preparation.
Uganda was at both the 2015 and 2017 Afrobasket finals and if they negotiate through their group, it will be a third consecutive appearance at the showpiece tourney.
The summoned team
Local-Based players
Ben Komakech (City Oilers), Tony Drileba (City Oilers), Fayed Bbale (UCU Canons), Innocent Ochera (JKL Dolphins), Ivan Muhwezi (City Oilers), Jimmy Abraham Enabu (City Oilers), Joseph Ikong Anyuru (City Oilers), David Deng Kongor (UCU), Geoffrey Soro (Nam Blazers), James Okello (City Oilers), Stanley Mugerwa (Warriors), Titus Lual Odeke (UCU Canons).
Foreign-Based players
Emmanuel Mugenga (France), Samuel Kalwanyi (USA), Ishmail Wainwright (USA), Robinson Opong (Canada), Eric Rwahire (Canada), Deng Geu (Denmark).
