Uganda’s basketball team forced out of FIBA World Cup qualifiers due to lack of funds

Uganda men’s basketball team, the Silverbacks, has been forced out of the first window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Angola.

Communicating to Nile Post via email, Arnold Katabi, who is the Vice President in charge of Media and Publishing at the Federation of Uganda’s Basketball Association said that “that is the current situation.”

Katabi, confirmed that the National Council of Sports (NCS) communicated to the federation that there are no funds to help the team attend the first window of the qualifiers in Angola.

The games are scheduled for November 26-28, 2021.

The national men’s basketball team recently finished sixth (6) at the just concluded AfroBasket but it was not without financial constraints as well.

The team had to travel to Kigali, where the competition was held, on credit.

While preparing for the AfroBasket, the team had also planned to have a two week training camp in Egypt prior to the AfroBasket but this was not possible as the team had no funds.

The financial constraints date back to July, 2021, when the Silverbacks automatically qualified for Afrobasket 2021 after beating hosts Morocco in Rabat 77-65.

The team which had travelled to Morocco on borrowed money had hoped the NCS would reimburse the money upon return to clear the debts.

FUBA says when they informed NCS about the need for financial support for the finals and reimbursement of the Morocco expenses, they were informed that there was no money.

Following further pleas, on August 16, 2021, government through the National Council of Sports finally came to the team’s rescue with Shs340 million.

Unfortunately, of the money, FUBA said then that they used $96,000 to pay part of the $100,000 accumulating debts arising from the Morocco trip.

At least 12 players had already been summoned to start preparing for the qualifiers in Angola.