09 June 2011
UGANDA : Local basketball: Is Falcons’ dynasty coming to an end?
Written by Dorothy Kyamazima & Felix Eupal
For the past four years Falcons has been no different from a bus without brakes going a downhill.
It doesn’t look like the brakes are about to get fixed. Like last year, Falcons are facing more hits off the court than on the court. They struggled to beat Heaters (the weakest team in division one), were stunned by a nine-man KIU Titans and claimed to be “unlucky” in Sunday’s 67-68 loss to Miracle.
Unlucky indeed! Luck favours a prepared mind, but Falcons are not prepared. Many critics noted that new Falcons president, Dennis Mbidde, wouldn’t be able to get the team back to its winning ways, considering that he has no prior experience in the basketball circles. But having secured the team a lucrative sponsorship deal with Crown Beverages under their Mountain Dew brand last year and another with Seven Up, which he alleges to be worth Shs 160m this year, the club had no option but to hand him the top post.
The Shs 160m sponsorship was meant to help Falcons get back on their feet after having lost almost all their players the previous season. And it did. They were able to get back Richard Omondi and Peter Elugant who had to be lured away by Miracle. They also lured back Emmanuel Ateng who was on the verge of signing for Ndejje.
Besides that, they added Steven Mwesigye from UCU Canons, Philip Buyonde and Ian Mago from Livingstone. Frank Karoro, Timothy Otim, Isaac Bwire and Chris Ouma completed the club’s list of new recruits. Not satisfied with recruits from within Uganda, Falcons recruited Kenyan and Burundian players like Nelson Nyau, Joel Miika, Mony Jeasle and Francise Mandengo.
Were their opponents scared? No, because Falcons had learnt nothing and forgotten nothing. They still have the same cosmopolitan issues that cost them last season.
Hardly three months into the season, Falcons’ foreign players are already complaining about delayed wage payments. Last year, Falcons lost seven of its foreign players thanks to huge arrears. Now, Falcons is flirting with the same fate.
On top of that they haven’t defined out the roles in the team. The 2003 MVP Sam Obol, who started the season as the team’s new coach after Michael Mureithi’s departure, stunned everyone when he showed up in a jersey and even featured for the team. Now, how will the players he dishes instructions to react when they see him being schooled like he was on Sunday evening.
For the past four years Falcons has been no different from a bus without brakes going a downhill.
It doesn’t look like the brakes are about to get fixed. Like last year, Falcons are facing more hits off the court than on the court. They struggled to beat Heaters (the weakest team in division one), were stunned by a nine-man KIU Titans and claimed to be “unlucky” in Sunday’s 67-68 loss to Miracle.
Unlucky indeed! Luck favours a prepared mind, but Falcons are not prepared. Many critics noted that new Falcons president, Dennis Mbidde, wouldn’t be able to get the team back to its winning ways, considering that he has no prior experience in the basketball circles. But having secured the team a lucrative sponsorship deal with Crown Beverages under their Mountain Dew brand last year and another with Seven Up, which he alleges to be worth Shs 160m this year, the club had no option but to hand him the top post.
The Shs 160m sponsorship was meant to help Falcons get back on their feet after having lost almost all their players the previous season. And it did. They were able to get back Richard Omondi and Peter Elugant who had to be lured away by Miracle. They also lured back Emmanuel Ateng who was on the verge of signing for Ndejje.
Besides that, they added Steven Mwesigye from UCU Canons, Philip Buyonde and Ian Mago from Livingstone. Frank Karoro, Timothy Otim, Isaac Bwire and Chris Ouma completed the club’s list of new recruits. Not satisfied with recruits from within Uganda, Falcons recruited Kenyan and Burundian players like Nelson Nyau, Joel Miika, Mony Jeasle and Francise Mandengo.
Were their opponents scared? No, because Falcons had learnt nothing and forgotten nothing. They still have the same cosmopolitan issues that cost them last season.
Hardly three months into the season, Falcons’ foreign players are already complaining about delayed wage payments. Last year, Falcons lost seven of its foreign players thanks to huge arrears. Now, Falcons is flirting with the same fate.
On top of that they haven’t defined out the roles in the team. The 2003 MVP Sam Obol, who started the season as the team’s new coach after Michael Mureithi’s departure, stunned everyone when he showed up in a jersey and even featured for the team. Now, how will the players he dishes instructions to react when they see him being schooled like he was on Sunday evening.
# posted by afrbk : 11:51
