17 August 2010
UGANDA : Holders face stern test in Sprite tournament
By Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo
Defending a championship is harder than winning it for the first time, it is often said. This is the kind of situation Ssaku and Buddo secondary schools find themselves in as the 16th Sprite tournament gets underway in Tororo this morning. Ssaku won the boys’ title last year while Buddo ruled the girls’ category but with the motivation of a trip to USA for the best players at stake, the holders have a tough job on their hands. Tournament sponsors Coca-Cola revealed last week the three most outstanding players in the tournament would be taken to America for a training camp in October. With Old Kampala, Lubiri, Kibuli and hosts Majansi fielding teams, Ssaku will have a tough time trying to win the title for the third time. Buddo, too, should expect a spirited challenge from Mbarara’s Maryhill and Kibuli in the girls’ category.
To stop some teams from fielding none-students, the technical committee spent the bigger part of yesterday screening all players.“Since its an invitational tournament, we are providing all teams with playing kits,” Coca-Cola promotions manager Kennedy Mutenyo told Daily Monitor. “We also don’t expect any team to pay registration fees like its done in other tournaments.”The technical committee composed mainly of Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (Fuba) officials, has been asked to choose the best 30 players in the tournament. The 30 will join others in Kampala for a camp before the best three are selected to travel to America for the National Basketball Association (NBA)-organised workshop.
Defending a championship is harder than winning it for the first time, it is often said. This is the kind of situation Ssaku and Buddo secondary schools find themselves in as the 16th Sprite tournament gets underway in Tororo this morning. Ssaku won the boys’ title last year while Buddo ruled the girls’ category but with the motivation of a trip to USA for the best players at stake, the holders have a tough job on their hands. Tournament sponsors Coca-Cola revealed last week the three most outstanding players in the tournament would be taken to America for a training camp in October. With Old Kampala, Lubiri, Kibuli and hosts Majansi fielding teams, Ssaku will have a tough time trying to win the title for the third time. Buddo, too, should expect a spirited challenge from Mbarara’s Maryhill and Kibuli in the girls’ category.
To stop some teams from fielding none-students, the technical committee spent the bigger part of yesterday screening all players.“Since its an invitational tournament, we are providing all teams with playing kits,” Coca-Cola promotions manager Kennedy Mutenyo told Daily Monitor. “We also don’t expect any team to pay registration fees like its done in other tournaments.”The technical committee composed mainly of Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (Fuba) officials, has been asked to choose the best 30 players in the tournament. The 30 will join others in Kampala for a camp before the best three are selected to travel to America for the National Basketball Association (NBA)-organised workshop.
# posted by afrbk : 18:47
