Uganda prepares to host Zone 5 Basketball Championship

 
Eighteen top teams in Zone 5 of the East and Central Africa have confirmed participation in the forth- coming Championship to be hosted by Uganda August 20-26.

Ambrose Tashobya, President of the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA), told a media briefing on Thursday morning at Lugogo National Council of Sports headquarters that although 18 have already conformed, they expect two more to come on board. Tashobya said that they written to the Zone 5 body for a possibility of two more slots as Falcons and Miracles have requested to take  part.

Uganda will be represented by defending champions DMark Power and Kyambogo Warriors for the men, while the women will be represented by Uganda Christian University Lady Canons and KCCA. The event will also act as a qualifier for the Champions Cup which attracts the top teams in the African continent.

//Cue in: We have Africa Zone 5…

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He was also grateful to Coco Cola for coming on board to support the event together with the International Ambulance Association (IAA).  Tashobya said they are operating on a budget of UGX 200m to be able to host a good Championship and therefore are still on the lookout for more sponsors.

The tournament will be played at the newly renovated Lugogo Indoor Stadium, Makerere University ground and YMCA. At last year’s event won by KPA (Kenya) for the women and Burundi’s Urunani, Uganda’s KCCA came third in Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

Joy Olinga, Women Commissioner for Basketball in the Zone 5 region said that the teams that have confirmed include Kenya’s KCB and Cooperative Bank for the men and KPA together with Eagle Wing for the women and others from Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Olinga said two teams  are expected from South Sudan by next week.
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KCCA women and Warriors came second in the same event in 2009 when Uganda last hosted the event, but Tashobya thinks Uganda has what it takes to retain the trophies here.
//Cue in: We last hosted this…

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