Uganda National Basketball Team, Gazelles, will take on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the qualifier for the quarterfinals.

Per the competition format, Gazelles who finished second in Group C having lost one (to Mali) and won the other (against Senegal) crossed with the bottom team in Group D which is DRC.

The clash is scheduled to be played on Tuesday night (10:00pm, EAT) with the winner advancing face Rwanda in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Alberto Antuna, the head coach of Uganda, believes his charges need to stick to the structures and use the performance against Senegal as an inspiration.

“Congo is a really physical team, experienced team more than us but we need to adapt our game plan against them. They are a really [an] athletic team, they’ve been playing with a seven, eight, nine-player rotation, so we need to try to be a team. We have to run, be aggressive and score from our defence,” he. said.

“We are going to use it [win over Senegal] in a way like the players know that doing the game plan, respecting the rules, we can compete against anyone in this tournament. So obviously, the win gives us confidence and some energy to keep competing,” Antuna added.

If Uganda defeats the hosts, a place in the semifinals will pit them against defending champions Nigeria, who will have to get past either Mozambique or Cote D’Ivoire in the other quarterfinal.

• FIBA 2023 Women’s AfroBasket
• Saturday, July 29, 2023
• Uganda 85-83 Senegal

Uganda shocked Senegal in a thrilling encounter of the 2023 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket on Saturday evening.

The Gazelles held their nerves to beat Senegal 85-83 in a nail-biting affair that was played at the BK Kigali Arena in Rwanda.

In the post-game presser, forward Jane Asinde revealed that coach Alberto Antuna asked them to compete and they did so hence pulling off the biggest upset of the ongoing championship thus far.

“The coach told us to compete and that is what we did,” Asinde said shortly after the final whistle which was followed by wild celebrations.

“He (Antuna) told us Senegal is a good team but there are rules and we needed to follow them. So we stayed disciplined and that led to the amazing outcome.”

“We respected them but we didn’t fear them. You know, it was a competitive game, and we kept on playing till the last minute. But when I went for the last contest, I knew it was a win.”

“We are ready for any team and we are going to be prepared to take on each side that comes our way,” Asinde concluded.

Asinde dropped 20 points, 9 rebounds, three assists and two steals to stage a top performance in the closely-contested game.

In the same breath, Janon Otto equally left everything on the floor after scoring 21 points, pulling down six rebounds and making five assists.

It was end-to-end action at the BK Arena, as the fans and everyone there kept on the edge of their seating waiting to see which side the pendulum bob would finally settle.

In the last minute, Uganda scored 5-2 hence staging a big surprise for the 11-time champion.

Uganda takes a rest on Sunday as they witness Mali take on the wounded buffalo in Senegal.

2023 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket | Results

Friday, July 28, 2023

• Mali 80-66 Uganda

Uganda Women’s National Basketball, the Gazelles suffered a 66-80 loss to Mali in the 2023 FIBA Women Afrobasket at BK Arena Kigali in Rwanda on Friday evening.

It was a false start for the Gazelles in their opening game but will walk away with a number of lessons after an entertaining duel with Africa’s number two, Mali.

It was not the best show for Alberto Antuna’s troops on the continental stage as they failed to contain the pressure from the African giants.

They gave away points due to careless turnovers, poor ball handling and a couple of errors on the court. The Gazelles struggled to beat Mali’s high court press.

Supported by a sizeable number of fans, Uganda started the game on the right note leading the first quarter 19-16 but later fell behind to four points (37-33) after the halftime whistle.

Mali’s experience was shown as they showed up when it mattered most. They made sure that they created the gap in the second half punishing the Gazelles each time they faltered.

Mali’s Djeneba N’Diaye scored a game-high of 25 points and Fatoumata Sanou added 15 points to ensure they see off Uganda.

On the other hand, Jannon Otto led Uganda’s scoring board with 19 points while Brenda Ekone and Claire Lamunu added 12 and 10 to post double figures.

Next on the menu, Uganda will be facing yet other African giant Senegal.

2023 Netball World Cup | Results

• Uganda 79-37 Singapore

Uganda Women’s national team, She Cranes registered a 79-37 easy-earned victory against Singapore in the 2023 Netball World Cup at the Cape Town International Conventional Centre in Cape Town on Friday.

It was a great start for the She Cranes amidst having a lot of new faces on the world’s grand stage.

It was a shock to the Netball enthusiasts as She Cranes Fred Mugerwa’s coach read Shadia Nassanga and Haniisha Muhammed ahead of Irene Eyaru and Mary Nuba Cholhok.

Goal-shooter Muhameed paid the coach’s trust with an 86% conversion rate after she scored 31 goals out of 35 attempts.

Goal-attacker Shadiah Nassanga added 11 goals out of 14 attempts to make a good harvest of the upfront duo.

The team’s captains Eyalu and Nuba came off the bench to post seven and 17 goals respectively.

She Cranes started off well leading the first frame 22-09. At the halftime whistle, Uganda was in a comfortable lead posting 42-18 to go into the long break.

After recess, Uganda scored 20 and 17 in the third and fourth quarter while Singapore scored 11 and eight on the other hand.

Next on the menu, Uganda will play world champions New Zealand on Saturday. In the earlier games, New Zealand beat Trinidad and Tobago 76-27.

How Uganda lined up

Margaret Baagala (C), Shaffie Nalwanja (WD), Norah Lunkuse (WA), Christine Nakitto (GD), Shadia Nassanga (GA), Haniisha Muhammed (GS)

• 2023 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket
• Friday, July 28, 2023
• Mali vs Uganda

Uganda Women’s National Basketball Team, the Gazelles, is beaming with confidence ahead of the Mali duel in their opening game at the 2023 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket.

It will be the much-anticipated return on the continental stage as they seek a perfect start at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

In an interview ahead of the big contest, Gazelles’ coach Albert Antuna revealed it’s a moment they’ve been waiting for as a team and they are ready to fly the nation’s flag so high.

“The preparations have come to an end, like finally we are here, the players and all the coaches have been longing for this moment to start the championship,” Atuna confidently said.

“I feel we’ve had good preparations and surely FUBA made an amazing effort to see that we come to Kigali before the full championship. It has enabled us to have three full sessions in the main arena.”

“It’s time to enjoy, it’s time to compete. It’s very important for us to compete because we know we are going to face two top teams in our group. They have been doing well in the previous tournaments but we are ready,” he further noted.

The need to put everything on the court

Uganda makes a return to the Afrobasket after being part of the tournament in 2015 and 1997.

In 1997, they were treated to the baptism of fire losing all four games played in the championship later on in 2015, they improved by scooping two victories, one in the group and the other on the classification level.

So there is a need to put everything on the court to see that they stage the desired fight against 11-time winners Senegal and Mali who won the championship back in 2007.

According to coach Antuna, it will be day by day as they collect the experience to grow into the tournament.

“It gonna be day by day competing, enjoying the experience and putting everything on the court. We want to make the people in Uganda proud because the girls are back in a great international competition,” he concluded.

In the same breath, Gazelles captain Flavia Oketcho said the team is ready to put up a fight.

“We are ready to ramble. We’ve had a fantastic preparation right from Kampala to Kigali. We arrived a bit early and had a chance to test the court. The Ladies are ready and we are as prepared as we can be,” she affirmed.

The Groups

• Group A: Angola, Ivory Coast, Rwanda
• Group B: Cameroon, Guinea, Mozambique
• Group C: Mali, Senegal Uganda
• Group D: DR Congo, Egypt, Nigeria

Good Luck Gazelles, Let’s Go UG!!!!

National Basketball League

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Women

• Angels 40-76 KCCA Panther

Men

• City Oilers 84-41 Rezlife Saints

City Oilers collected their 16th straight win after beating Rezlife Saints 84-41 in the National Basketball League at the Lugogo Arena on Wednesday.

Mandy Juruni’s troops are a house on fire and it seems they are not planning to run out of flames. The record champions are still unbeaten and are playing 16 games.

Jimmy Enabu scored a game-high of 14 points before Maker Mer Roor and Ben Komakech scored 13 and 10 points respectively hence sealing off the victory.

On the other hand, Rezlife suffered their fifth straight loss in the second round meaning they have not won a game since the season resumed.

They had no one with a double figure on the scoreboard, Micheal Otieno scoring a team-high of nine points. Claude Lubega and Benjamin Kawuni added six and five respectively.

Just like expected, the Oilers started on the front foot taking charge of the first quarter 17-9. At halftime, the Saints were trailing by a sum of 19 points (35-16).

In the second half, the Saints pulled up their stocking to score a double in the third quarter but still were on the receiving side by 10 (24-14).

At full-time, Daniel Juuko’s troops were trailing by 43 points in the one-sided game yet the Oilers hardly put in a shift to register this victory.

City Oilers are fifth on the 12-teamed log while Rezlife lie at the bottom of the log.

In the next fixtures, Rezlife take on Ndejje University while City Oilers’ duel against KIU will not be played since the games happening that weekend were postponed due to Afrobasket.

Federations of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA) has postponed National Basketball League (NBL) games.

The development was made to allow all stakeholders be able to fully support the Gazelles that will be taking part of the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2023 .

The continental showdown will be held in Kigali, Rwanda from July 28 to August 6 in the ongoing year.

According to the letter dispatched by Hudson Ssegamwenge, the General Secretary of FUBA.

“The Senior National Women’s Team (Gazelles) is schedules to take part in the upcoming FIBA Women’s Afrobasket championship on the 28th of July 2023 to the 6th of August 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda,” the letter partly read.

According to the letter, the league games before July 28 will go on as scheduled and later the break will get underway.

“This serves to inform all teams, club presidents, team managers, athletes, FUBA officials and all other stakeholders that the Senior National Women’s Team is scheduled to take part in the Afrobasket,” the letter added.

“Therefore, all different league fixtures across all divisions scheduled to take place between July 27 to August 7 2023 are hereby postponed to enable the basketball fraternity fully support the team. All league activities shall resume on August 8 2023,” it concluded.

In the Afrobasket, the Gazelles are pooled in group C alongside Mali and Senegal.

Their fast outing will be against Mali on July 29 before taking on Mali a day later at the fascinating BK Kigali Arena in Rwanda.

The second edition of the MTN Tooro Kingdom Masaza Bicycle Races is underway and a thousand spectators in Burahya County attended the epic races.

Taking off from the Kihondo trading centre, 51 participants and managed to uphold a strong sense of ethics despite the overwhelming crowd along the race route.

According to Patrick Bwegendaho, the Burahya County Chief, the race was carried out with utmost integrity.

He took the opportunity to remind the Kingdom subjects of the importance of actively participating in Kingdom activities, particularly those supported by MTN Uganda.

Here are some images from the event;

The second edition of the MTN Tooro Kingdom Masaza Bicycle Races is underway and has left approximately a thousand spectators in Burahya County astounded.

Taking off from the Kihondo trading centre, this thrilling event featured 51 participants and managed to uphold a strong sense of ethics despite the overwhelming crowd along the race route.

According to Patrick Bwegendaho, the Burahya County Chief, the race was carried out with utmost integrity.

He took the opportunity to remind the Kingdom subjects of the importance of actively participating in Kingdom activities, particularly those supported by MTN Uganda.

Bwegendaho emphasized the need to instil a deep love for the Kingdom within the younger generation.

Among the participants, a group of exceptional riders emerged victorious, capturing the attention of all. Kenneth Murungi, Raymond Muhumuza, Nicholas Mugenyi, Jovan Alinde, and Richard Kyomuhendo walked away with cash rewards ranging from 100,000shs to an impressive 500,000shs.

In the Sports bikes category, Rajab Gumisiriza, Bright Christopher, Stephen Baruga, Enoch Mutebezi, and Christopher Musinguzi secured the top spots and the associated cash prizes.

The standout winners, Kenneth Murungi and Rajab Gumisiriza, shared their experiences from last year’s edition and highlighted how the funds received from MTN contributed to the advancement of their respective projects.

Murungi, an Ordinary fast rider, used the previous funds to purchase iron sheets for his upcountry double-roomed house.

With the cash prize he secured this year, Murungi intends to further invest in his ongoing project. On the other hand, Gumisiriza, the Sports bikes winner, plans to acquire a new bike that will enhance his competitiveness in future races.

Following the award ceremony, Wandera Micheal, the Tooro sports minister, announced upcoming changes for future competitions.

These changes include an increased number of beneficiaries and the provision of certificates to all participants courtesy of MTN.

Aggrey Byaruhanga, the MTN Regional Sales and Marketing Manager, emphasized the significance of utilizing sports activities as a means to advocate for the eradication of HIV/AIDS by 2030.

Byaruhanga reaffirmed MTN’s commitment to supporting development initiatives within the Tooro Kingdom.

The MTN Tooro Kingdom Masaza Bicycle Races not only entertained the crowd but also served as a platform to promote active engagement in Kingdom activities and nurture a sense of loyalty to the Kingdom among the youth.

With the support of MTN Uganda, this event showcased the riders’ skills and contributed to the development of their respective projects.

As future competitions approach, participants can expect even greater opportunities and recognition for their talent.

National Basketball League

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Men

• UCU Canons 53-57 UPDF Tomahawks
• KCCA Panthers 42-76 Nam Blazers

Women

• UCU Lady Canons 74-34 Angels

UPDF Tomahawks edged UCU Canons in a 57-53 victory in the National Basketball League at YMCA Courts, Wandegeya on Sunday evening.

The loss compounded the Canons’ misery who have now lost the third game in a row.

Felix Mukunzi led the Tomahawks with 15 points while Micheal Kojjo and Arthur Wanyoto added 11 and 10 respectively.

Gang was named the NBL player of the game after dropping 11 points, 11 rebounds and two assists.

Ibanda Lwabaga scored a game-high 16 points, six rebounds and two assists and Abraham Isiagi added 11 points but it was not enough to award his side a victory.

The Canons captain went 4-for-11 from downtown to collect 12 points from outside the arc.

After missing the thrilling duel against Nam Blazers, Peter Sifuma scored 10 points and pulled down a game-high 20 rebounds thus owning the paint.

Tomahawks led the first quarter by four points (11-7) before the two sides levelled in the second frame (12-12).

After the long break, the army side edged the Canons 19-16 before the Mukono-based side took charge of the fourth frame 18-15 but it was late to pick anything positive from the game.

Next on the menu, UPDF will take on City Oilers who are still on a perfect run while the Canons will lock horns with the Kampala Rockets.