The National Men’s Basketball Team, the Silverbacks are off to Monastir, Tunisia for the second window of the FIBA Afrobasket 2021 Qualifiers from the 18th to 21st February 2021. The Team flies out tonight to Monastir and will undergo a 10 days pre camp before the actual event that will see the top three teams qualify for the FIBA Afrobasket in July 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The National Council of Sports Chairman, Dr. Donald Rukare flagged off the team today at Lugogo and called upon the team to fly Uganda’s flag high and reaffirmed government’s full support to the team starting with the testing of players for COVID19 to fully funding the team’s travel.

The government of Uganda through National Council of Sports funded the trip to Tunisia to a tune of Ugx.334Million, this is in addition to the first window qualifiers in Egypt which government equally funded.

The NCS General Secretary congratulated the team for their qualification journey and called for discipline at the tournament.

The Silverbacks Captain, Jimmy Enabu called the tournament the ‘Perfect Opportunity’ and promised to do their best to shine in Tunisia.

Jimmy Enabu, James Okello and Robinson Opong were the Top scorers in the first window in Egypt and during today’s flag off, the NCS Chairman, Dr. Donald Rukare fulfilled his pledge to reward the top three scorers with a pair of sneakers each. The team was thereafter treated to a luncheon at the Copper Chimney Restaurant, Lugogo before heading to the Airport.

Uganda is drawn in Group E with Egypt, Morocco and Cape Verde and finished second in the first qualification window in Egypt, with two wins against Cape Verde and Morocco and lost only to Egypt.

TEAM COMPOSITION
Local Based Players: Jimmy Enabu (Team Captain), Tony Drileba, Benjamin Komakech, Fayed Bbale, James Okello, Joseph Anyuru Ikong, Titus Lual Odeke, Ceasar Kizito

Foreign Based Players: Ishmail Wainwright, Eric Rwahirwe, Robinson Opong, Deng Geu, Arthur Kaluma