Basketball in Africa

By Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo

Kampala

Today at YMCA
Nkumba v Berkley (8.30pm)
St. Michael v Riders (5.50pm)
Women: Bucks v KCC (7pm)

The biggest ingredient of multi-tasking is proper time management, at least according to Timothy Odeke, a local basketball coach. Today, he needs to draw from his energy reserves as the two teams he tutors, Nkumba

Marines and KCC Leopards, have games in the MTN-Fuba League at YMCA court, Wandegeya.
His evening starts with screaming instructions to KCC as they face beleaguered Lady Bucks in the women’s division before Marines have basement Berkley in the men’s late game. “It’s not the first time to have both teams play on the same day so I have learned to manage my time,” said Odeke.

Since Nkumba University is in recess, the team is able to train in the morning leaving the coach with enough time to tutor the girls’ side in the evening. Aware that the first round winds down, Odeke took time to evaluate the progress made. “It’s not quite what we (Marines) hoped for because the injury situation has frustrated us,” he added.

Danson Ngati, Ladslas Ikungura, Philip Wakimwero and Julius Lutwama have played with various problems but the coach thinks a fifth or sixth placing at the end of the first round can revitalize the team for a play-off charge in the second. Elsewhere, St. Michael, beaten 132-73 by Warriors on Sunday, must pick themselves up for Knight Riders’ sprint challenge.