Kampala all set for FIBA Africa U18 championships Qualifiers

 

KAMPALA (Uganda) - Kampala will play host to the FIBA Africa Zone Five U 18 Championship.

And it's all systems go as the girls' home team - the Uganda Junior Gazelles - have already embarked on an intense preparation ahead of the four-team six-day event slated for June 9-14 at the Lugogo Indoor Arena, in Kampala.

Reports from the city indicate that the two teams have already started their non-residential training.

The girls are under the tutelage of vastly-experienced Head Coach John Omondi who  will be assisted by Andrew Tendo.

Omondi handles three teams namely: Stormers Women Basketball Club, Ndejje Angeles as well as Buddo Senior Secondary School team.

Tendo is the Senior National Men's Team - The Silverbacks assistant tactician and is also in charge of top Uganda men's side, City Oilers Basketball Club.

Tendo coached Uganda in the final window of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Africa Qualifiers in Luanda, Angola

The duo will call the shots for the Junior Gazelles as they strive to shake off their opponents from Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania to book the regions' sole ticket to the 2024 FIBA U18 African Championships to be held in Pretoria, South Africa in August.

To achieve that goal, they will definitely bank on the tactical acumen of Omondi and Tendo from the sides.

They will also rely on the support of their insatiable fans who have always brought the much-needed energy during national assignments. 

Already headed for the festival down South are Mali, Egypt, Angola Madagascar and host South Africa.

The winners from this tournament will then proceed to the 2025 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cups. 

They have vowed to make Ugandans proud as they did in the last tournament where they emerged winners. Nothing will stop their march towards another continental outing.

Uganda finished fourth in the six-team 2021 FIBA U16 African Championship Women in Cairo, Egypt

To achieve that goal, they will have to shake off their opponents from Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania for the regions sole ticket to the 2024 FIBA U18 African Championship to be held in August in South Africa.

And if their preparations are anything to go bye, the girls are ready to show their prowess as they did in the past tournament where they emerged winners. Nothing will stop their march towards another continental outing.

“We have been in preparations since last year with periodic nonresidential camps, into this year in getting the team ready." a source from Kampala told Fiba.Basketball.

In an effort to get the team all set for the big day, their preparations have run into this year having started the residential camp on 2nd June leading up to the qualifiers.

15 players selected for the Residential camp are being put through their paces with the final roster expected to be unveiled just few days to the event.

Team Uganda 

This will be the second time in two years that Kampala will be playing host to the regional junior show that will unearth future talents.

The final team will move into residential camp on June 2 leading up to the qualifiers. 

But the question on the lips of the Ugandans remain- will another Sylvia Nantongo emerged during the show? 

The center, who bagged the top scorer and Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors, was the undoubted star for her country.

In the last championship, Uganda topped the qualifier with 9 points and despite going down to Rwanda, still managed to claim Zone 5 crown to seal their place in the Final Round.

They will be aiming to make a mark at their fourth appearance in the FIBA U18 Women African Championship and the target remains firmly to make a podium finish.

FIBA