Uganda national men’s senior basketball team, Silverbacks have intensified preparations (training) for the second window of Afrobasket Qualifiers.
12 local based players were earlier on summoned for training with the event proper slated for 19th-21st February 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda.
The team was meant to start training in the middle of December last year but failed to secure a clearance to do so because of the harsh Covid-19 regulations in regard to the same.
The team trains on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Africa Bible University in Lubowa.
The training comes after Silverbacks successfully competed in the first qualifying window held in November last year at Alexandria, Egypt where they picked two wins from three games.
Silverbacks Captain Jimmy Enabu is upbeat and now has his sight set on the Kigali meet.
“We are glad to be back and we now have our eyes set on the prize. We are ready to work hard and get ready for the second window,” Enabu said with the Kigali event knocking.
“We anticipate that the games will be harder that’s why in training we are aware that the second window of the competition will be harder than the first one,” Enabu added.
The local based players are coached by Mandy Juruni, Andrew Tendo and Brian Wathum but Head Coach George Galanopolous and foreign based players will join the team in Kigali.
However, prior to the Kigali event, the squad will be trimmed after about a month of drills.
Silverbacks are in Group E alongside Egypt, Morocco and Cape Verde.
There are five qualifying groups and the top three from each group and a wildcard will form the 16 teams that will qualify for the FIBA Afrobasket 2021 in Rwanda from August 24 to September 5.
Summoned local based players;
1. Jimmy Abraham Enabu (Team Captain) 2. Tonny Drileba 3. Benjamin Komakech 4. James Okello 5. Joseph Ikong 6. Titus Odeke 7. Stanley Mugerwa 8. Innocent Ochera 9. Fayed Bbale 10. Ceaser Kizito 11. Ivan Muwhezi 12. Peter Obleng
