Uganda’s Silverbacks are back in the country after a good showing at the 2021 FIBA Afrobasket in Kigali, Rwanda.

The team of locally-based players and officials jetted in on Monday night, 11:30pm, aboard Uganda Airlines.

The Silverbacks, whose preparations prior to the tournament were marred by financial hardships, managed to overcome obstacles to reach the quarterfinals, their best finish ever at the continental championship.

After finishing third in Group D, Uganda beat Nigeria in the qualifier for the quarterfinals before falling to a resolute Cape Verde and eventually ended with a 2-3 mark and a respectable sixth-place finish.

Uganda’s tournament journey ended on 2nd September but prolonged their stay in Kigali during which the team visited Genocide Memorial in Rwanda to commemorate and pay respect to the lives that were lost during the 1994 Genocide.

On Monday, the team was hosted to a farewell luncheon at the Uganda High Commission in Kigali.

The Silverbacks will regroup in November for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.

Uganda Women’s National Cricket Team, Victoria Pearls, has been flagged off to Gaborone, Botswana.

The team will be competing in the ICC Africa Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers slated for September 7-20.

The team was flagged off by the National Council of Sports Assistant General Secretary David Katende during a press briefing at Entebbe Cricket Oval.

“I want to thank the leadership of UCA for the effort you have put in to develop the game of Cricket, and inclusiveness, and offering opportunities to these girls.

“As Government, Cricket is one of those Sports we are looking critically to support more. I have to commend the Ladies’ team, they are one of the most disciplined and smart teams.

“You look like champions already. We are going to swim in familiar waters. Let’s go and defend our name. Please die a little for your country. You are ambassadors and fly our flag high,” said Katende.

The team goes for the tournament after weeks of training under new head coach Suraj Karavadra and this will be his first international assignment since taking charge.

Uganda pitted in Group B alongside Nigeria, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone will seek to snatch the sole ticket reserved for the tournament winner to advance directly to the Global Qualifiers.

Group A has hosts Botswana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique, with the top two teams reaching the semis.

Uganda beat Zimbabwe in 2017 by three wickets to win the championship and will be hoping for similar fortunes going to Gaborone.

Uganda’s contingent

Players: Immaculate Nakisuyi (Captain), Janet Mbabazi (Vice-Captain), Rachel Ntono, Proscovia Alako, Esther Iloku, Rita Musamali, Naomi Kayondo, Stephanie Nampiina, Irene Alumo, Patricia Malemikia, Consy Aweko, Kevin Awino, Damalie Busingye.

Officials: Suraj Karavadra (Head Coach), Alpha Adowa (Assistant Coach), Edgar Kazibwe (Team Psychologist), Shamim Nassali (Team Physiotherapist), Denis Musali (Media Manager), Lwiza Nabulwala (Team Manager)

Uganda’s Silverbacks played their best basketball thus far, reaching the quarterfinal on their third appearance at AfroBasket.

Despite not having prepared for the tournament by having a training camp, the team strung together a 2-2 record that included beating continental heavyweights Nigeria.

James Okello who played 23 minutes in the quarterfinal game against Cape Verde says the team did its best but didn’t shy away from the fact that the team didn’t prepare well for the tournament.

“I don’t think we missed anything, we went on court and gave all we had to give. The boys fought, they fought so hard.

“The coach gave all his best so I don’t think there’s anything short we left back, we all gave our best given the fact that we didn’t have enough time to prepare, problems behind the scenes that you guys can’t see.

“We just have to prepare better next time, get support earlier, maybe we will go further and we will probably get to the finals or even win, why not?” said Okello.

The 6’4” City Oilers center who also played his best game at the tournament against Cape Verde shared the reason behind that performance.

“I was personally fired up for this game and I wanted to take my team to the next level so I just sat back and thought of what I could give my team, what they need exactly from me and I think as a person I gave it all, all that they needed.

“I prepared very well, mentally, physically just that the ball didn’t bounce our way but I think I was better prepared for this game.”

Okello’s next assignment with the national side will be the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers that start in November.

Uganda Cricket Cranes showed a lot of determination against Kenya in their second ODI game played at Kyambogo University Oval, cruising to a nine-wicket win.

Both sides made many changes in opposite directions. Kenya left out all their senior players due to a few pains while the home side went for experience over youth.

Ronak Patel, Dinesh Nakrani, Saud Islam, Charles Waiswa, and Jonathan Ssebanja were all introduced into the side.

Kenya won the toss and chose to bat first and the decision totally backfired on them as the hosts were clinical with the ball.

Charles Waiswa and Jonathan Ssebanja bowled consistently in the channel which brought results with the visitors reduced to 55/5 inside 18 overs and folded for 85 all out in 28 overs.

Waiswa (4/15) was the top performer with the ball and was ably backed by Ssebanja (2/10) and Nakrani (2/35).

Despite losing Shahzad Kamal early, Ronak Patel (35) and Saud Islam (40) made the chase as easy as they come.

The final game of the series will be played on Tuesday, September 7. 

Kenya made light work of Cricket Cranes and didn’t break enough sweat en route to a 78-run win at the University Oval at Kyambogo.

Cricket Cranes won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that was not backed up well by the bowling.

Alex Obanda (73) and Irfan Karim (72) built a platform for a late charge from the lower order with Kenya posted a commanding 306/7 in their 50 overs.

Henry Ssenyondo (3/42) and Brian Masaba (2/42) were Uganda’s most economical bowlers.

In the chase, Cricket Cranes were immediately pegged back by the experienced Nehemiah Odhiambo who got both Simon Ssesazi and Arnold Otwani to nick behind.

With Uganda railing at 2/2, Frank Akankwasa and Shahzad Kamal tried to do some repair work but the latter fell at 44/2.

Akankwasa (41) held the fort for a while as he tried to find a partner and the only willing partners were Riazat Ali Shah (74) and Kenneth Waiswa (17) who put in some shifts.

Bilal Hassun (23) and Fred Achellam (24) delivered some nasty blows at the end but the writing was already on the wall for team Uganda and at the end folded for 228 with four balls to spare.

Odhiambo (4/15) was the pick of the Kenyan bowlers. 

The two sides face off again tomorrow at the same ground and Uganda will have to pick itself up 

Uganda’s best run at the FIBA AfroBasket ended with Silverbacks’ quarterfinals exit at the 2021 tournament on Thursday night.

The Silverbacks of Uganda fell to Cape Verde 79-71 at Kigali Arena in a game head coach George Galanopoulos is convinced was winnable.

“There’s a lot of emotion right now,” Galanopoulos said in the post-game press conference flanked by one of Uganda’s best performers on the night James Okello. “When you really truly, with all your heart, believe that you are going to win and that you got the group to do it and you think there’s kind of divine power on your side and it doesn’t go that way, it’s a little disappointing.”

The Islanders’ center Walter Tavares troubled Silverbacks’ inside defense all night and the task of stopping the big man was designated to back up center James Okello who played his tournament-high 23 minutes.

“I’m definitely not disappointed in our effort. I have never been more proud of a group my entire life, their fight especially this guy right here (James Okello). He exemplifies everything that our team is all about. You saw him he is a 6’4” backup center battling his butt off with one of the best bigs in Europe arguably an NBA player 7’3” and to see just the fight that he put up every single possession it makes really proud and that’s a microcosm of what our team is all about.”

Galanopoulos says the game came down to Silverbacks failing to capitalize on the turnovers but feels the future of the national team is bright.

“I’m extremely excited for the future. I told the guys in the locker room they should be proud of themselves. I wish I could have done a little bit more personally to put them in positions to succeed, especially offensively today. I think the key of the game was our inability to capitalize off their turnovers. They had 22, we didn’t turn the ball over but we just didn’t shoot it well. Besides that, you can look at all the other numbers.”

Next up for Uganda are FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 qualifiers that start in November.

Uganda’s journey at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 has come to an end.

Cape Verde held on to beat Silverbacks 79-71 at Kigali Arena on Thursday night to qualify for the semifinals.

The 2007 third-place finishers join Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tunisia in the last four where they will face defending champions Tunisia on Saturday.

Cape Verde started the game with a couple of 3-pointers from Jeffrey Nunes Xavier and Joel Almeida. The Islanders took the lead to 8 points early in the game but the Silverbacks never fell far behind with the first quarter ending 24-20.

Guards Adam Seiko and Eric Rwahwirwe started the second quarter connecting from behind the arc and Uganda took the lead, 26-24. The rest of the period remained a close contest until late when Cape Verde scored 7 unanswered points in the final three minutes to go into the break leading 43-35.

Ivan Almeida and Fidel Mendonca opened the third quarter from beyond the arc and Cape Verde’s lead was into double figures, quickly ballooning to 15 points (53-38). However, Arthur Kaluma kept Uganda in the contest with a pair of 3-pointers.

Kieran Zziwa hit three free throws, Ishmail Wainright added a lay-up and the lead was cut down to single-digit. With Silverbacks trailing 51-57, Tony Drileba took too long to make the inbound pass turning over the ball and Xavier hit the three that took Cape Verde’s lead to 10 points (61-51) going into the fourth.

Sekouba Condé made a pair of free throws to start the fourth quarter but Seiko responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Silverbacks within six points (59-63) forcing Cape Verde into a timeout. On return, Mendonca made a 3-pointer and Wainright had the answer at the other end, Kaluma added another and the lead was down to 3.

Despite trying their best to keep Tavares away from the basket, the 7’3” center troubled the Silverbacks down the stretch and proved to be the difference. The big man scored game-high 23 points and pulled down 15 rebounds.

Joel Almeida (17 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Xavier (16 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists) hit some big shots for Cape Verde.

Kaluma played his best offensive game at the tournament, scoring team-high 21 points. Wainright had 13 points while Seiko scored 9.

A semifinal spot at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 will be at stake when Uganda’s Silverbacks face-off with Cape Verde on Thursday evening.

The match-up at Kigali Arena will be a repeat of the qualifiers game played last year at Al Ittihad Stadium in Alexandria, Egypt. The Silverbacks prevailed in the high-scoring game 101-98.

Cape Verde (2-1) and Uganda (2-2) play a nearly similar type of basketball but the Silverbacks play with a little more pace. The two sides thrive on three-point shooting, and thus it will be important for either side to defend the arc.

In vet Fidel Mendonca, point guard Jeffrey Nunes Xavier, as well as forwards Joel Almeida and Ivan Almeida, the 2007 third-place finishers Cape Verde have real offensive power at the perimeter.

Seven-footer Walter Tavares could be a handful for John Deng Geu and James Okello in the post. The Real Madrid center has given Cape Verde the interior presence they missed during the qualifiers, averaging 14 points and nearly as many rebounds a game.

Ishmail Wainright who torched Cape Verde in the qualifiers has directed Uganda’s offense at the tournament, delivering triple-double performances in the last two games. His ability to drive to the basket or find the open man for the shot will be key for the Silverbacks.

Adam Seiko has immensely added to Uganda’s outside shooting. The 6’3” guard has complemented Robinson Opong very well in delivering goods from downtown.

Deng Geu has quietly and efficiently delivered for Silverbacks on both ends of the floor. The 6’9” athletic center is a reliable rim protector and contributes 10 points at the other end of the court.

Arthur Kaluma has made it clear how he is not content with his performance thus far and could be looking to deliver a performance that will see Uganda in the semifinals. The 19-year-old 6’9” power forward is not afraid to attack the basket and only needs to polish the finishing.

Silverbacks coach George Galanopoulos was emotional during the post-match press conference after Uganda’s stunned Nigeria on Tuesday.

Uganda beat Africa’s top-ranked team D’Tigers 80-68 at the Kigali Arena to seal a place in the Quarterfinal of the Fiba Afrobasket.

Galanopoulos, whose side will face Cape Verde in the quarterfinals on Thursday, has ranked the milestone highest in his coaching career.

The former Video Coordinator at Dallas Mavericks and current coach of Texas Legends who has been in charge of  Silverbacks since 2017 says coaching Uganda has been more than something to put on his resume.

“There will be an influence these players will have on the young generation. I grew up in Chicago rooting for the Chicago Bulls, many guys will start to play the game more and more because of a win like this,” Galanopoulos said after Uganda’s win over Nigeria.

“We do not focus on that (inspiring generations) when we go through the process of playing but I think when you take a step back and you think about the bigger picture and you kind of broaden the perspective about the impact you can have on the nation and especially for the generation to come, it gives you an extra motivation to understand that you are working with people for something so much meaningful than your own individual goal.

“Just for example when I was first offered this job, I was 28 years, I just saw the opportunity thrown on my resume just to be a head coach, I did not realize by the grace of God that this will be the best thing to have ever happened to me for more reasons than just my coaching experience.”

Galanopoulos added: “It’s hard to put into words but all I can say is that I am extremely proud of this group, I am so proud and humbled to coach them. This is the best collective group of people that I have ever been around.”

Uganda’s Silverbacks have been drawn in Group A of the African Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

The Silverbacks have been drawn along with familiar qualifiers opponents Cape Verde Mali and Nigeria.

Uganda played Mali and Nigeria in the first round of the qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup, losing to both countries in the two legs.

The Silverbacks also played Cape Verde in the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 qualifiers, winning the high-scoring game played in Alexandria, Egypt.

FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers Groups (Africa)

• Group A: Cape Verde, Mali, Uganda, Nigeria
• Group B: South Sudan, Cameroon, Tunisia, Rwanda
• Group C: Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Central Africa Republic, Angola
• Group D: Kenya, Senegal, Egypt, Democractic Republic of Congo

How and when the qualifiers will be played

The African qualifiers will be played over two rounds. The top three teams from each group in the first will advance to the second round.

During the first round, each team will face the other three teams in their group in two tournaments played over three event windows. The teams will play three games in each window. These nine-day windows will be played starting in November 2021, February 2022, and June 2022.

At the second round, the group’s three advancing teams will join three other teams to create two six-team groups.  All teams will carry over their results from the First Round.

In the Second Round, each team will play each new team in their group during two tournaments played over two event windows schedule in August 2022 and February 2023.

At the end of these additional six games per team, the two top teams in each group, along with the best third-placed team, will qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

Qualifying Tournament Windows

• 1st Window: November 22 – 30, 2021
• 2nd Window: February 21 – March 1, 2022
• 3rd Window: June 27 – July 5, 2022
• 4th Window: August 22 – 30, 2022
• 5th Window: November 7 – 15, 2022
• 6th Window: February 20 – 28, 2023