Basketball in Africa

KAMPALA. The national women’s basketball team, the Gazelles, face the prospect of missing out on another continental championship unless Fuba raises Shs360m ($100,000) to fund their trip to Cameroon for the September 24 to October 3 AfroBasket Championship.
The team has just missed out on the All Africa Games after National Council of Sports (NCS) slashed the travelling contingent due to lack of funds. “We must find a way of travelling otherwise we risk a three-year ban and Shs144m in fines,” Fuba president Ambrose Tashobya said during a press briefing at Hotel Africana yesterday.

The team qualified for both tournaments after winning the Fiba Africa Zone V Championship held here last year. “We missed a unique opportunity, a hard earned one and it hurts that some federations who are just trying to qualify are given money yet we sent a budget to government last year,” Tashobya, flanked by national team committee chairman, Mohamed Santur, said.

“The Sports Commissioner, Omara Apita, told us Shs1b was released to NCS for three disciplines; netball, athletics and basketball. Shs580m was given to netball and when we asked for money all we were given was Shs36m ($10,000) in addition to the Shs82m President Museveni gave us,” the local basketball body boss explained. According to Tashobya, Fuba only paid $5000 of the $20,000 outstanding dues to the international basketball federation, Fiba. Fuba committed to complete the balance before the women’s tournament.