Basketball in Africa

A few days to the MTN-Fuba League tip-off, the future of Richard Osano Omondi is far from sorted with Falcons and Miracle Eagles both claiming to have binding contracts with the mercurial forward. Last December, Omondi was reported to have left Falcons for Miracle after leading the former to the semifinals in a season riddled with non-payment of players by the six-time champions.

Now, Falcons’ new president Denis Mbidde claims to have tied the player to a four-year contract with a buy-out clause of $150, 000 (over Shs300m). On the other hand, this newspaper has seen a contract (MBC/DR/12/10/002) Omondi signed with Miracle on December 11, 2010. “He (Omondi) has never met them (Miracle). I know him for being a very honest person. He is one of the highest paid players in the league,” said Mbidde.

Brian Minge, Miracle’s Chief Executive Officer and financier, differs greatly. “When the season starts, Omondi is expected to wear our stripe. He is our player and you have seen the contract,” Minge said on Tuesday flashing a copy of the one-year deal. Much as the player refused to speak to this reporter, a source told us that Falcons owe him 10-month arrears, something Mbidde vehemently disputed.

Ready for fight
“I deal with straight things and he is paid up to-date. If there was breach, he should have written to me but he hasn’t,” he said. Adding; “he is not going anywhere. Actually, he is our new captain for the upcoming season.” Minge is ready for the fight even though Omondi wasn’t training with them when Daily Monitor visited the team at Mengo S.S. “We obtained the transfer form from Fuba and all that is left is for Falcons to sign.” Fuba rules only allow players to sign a maximum of two-year deals and can be free agents thereafter if they opt not to renew them.

In this rule, Falcons still have the rights over Omondi as he played for only one season unless Miracle pay. “His contract was breached just like the case with (Stephen) Omony (walk out from Falcons after the club failed to pay the agreed Shs72m),” Minge said. For now, Minge can feel confident that Norman Blick, who signed with him on March 29, 2011 under contract number MBC/NB/006/011, is trouble free.

“I have had that (his former club DMark Power is offering him more money than us. If so, they can buyout the contract. He cannot go for free,” the Miracle boss said. Elsewhere, Abdullahi Ramadhan will return to Uganda soon to sign a two-year deal with Falcons worth Shs1.2m a month having left Kyambogo Warriors last year. “All I have to do now is send him his air ticket to travel from Zanzibar,” Mbidde revealed. Fuba have also confirmed that the league will start next week and not tomorrow.