FUBA rescued with a sack of sh340m for Afrobasket

By Ahmad Muto
The National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary, Dr Bernard Ogwelon Monday, August 16, 2021, handed over a sack of money, $95,506 (sh350m) to the FUBA president, for the National Men’s Basketball team, the Silverbacks, ahead of the FIBA Afrobasket in Kigali, Rwanda. The team qualified after beating Morocco last month. 
Ranked 13th in Africa, the Silverbacks were on the verge of getting disqualified if they failed to pay the mandatory fee to the organisers before the close of business on Monday, August 16, 2021. They were also expected inKigali, Rwanda on the same day to enable them get quarantined for a week ahead of the games. This will be the third consecutive time they are playing at the continental level. 
According to the FUBA president, Nasser Sserunjogi, he is going to beg the organisers to enable them play so they can travel on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. The games are set for August 24 to September 5 with Uganda is in group D alongside Senegal, Cameroon and South Sudan. 
In June, the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations’ Sserunjogi announced the withdrawal of the Women’s National Basketball Team, the Gazelles, from the FIBA Women Afrobasket Qualifiers (Zone V) citing lack of funds. It was set for July 12-17, 2021 also in Kigali, Rwanda.