17 November 2011
UGANDA : A timely play-off caution to Fuba
Around this time every year, the basketball crowd swells to unseen levels. The same is bound to happen from this Friday when the MTN-Fuba Basketball League play-offs start. Tomorrow is no different as teams start the sprint to being crowned champion.
Fuba have every right to go for the financial kill having collected a reported Shs68m from last year. They may not admit as much but only way to achieve similar figures is if these play-offs go all the way like DMark Power-Kyambogo Warriors did.
That Game Seven won by Power had also been preceded by Warriors-UCU Canons semifinal being decided in a game five and Power-7UP Falcons going to four. Fuba announced that charges for this year will be Shs10, 000. Seven games imply a fan parting with Shs70, 000! If both semifinals go until game five, it adds up to Shs100, 000 since they are played on different days.
This is not considering the VIPs who must pay Shs15, 000 and players whose teams didn’t get this far ordered to pick a ticket at Shs5, 000. All this is hypothetical and there’s every reason to think it cannot happen. But then, fans are bound to take a deep though before watching the all games scheduled to finish on December 15.
Fuba might need to reconsider these fees especially for the semis. The clamour for selling the last ticket shouldn’t also compromise the eye for security which is key to spotless organisation. Fans often get in untended with the two-three policemen not doing much. This number should be increased. In a season curtailed by rain and power outages, the latter ought to be sorted.
Fuba can do so little about the weather with National Council of Sports (NCS) far from reopening the Lugogo Indoor Stadium. The date for its availability is a mirage without any concrete explanation. In addition, while we are bound to lose some games, the basketball administrators should also plan beyond he unreliable power which has led to so many late starts and finishes.
The most boring segment of this strip is the pressure umpires will face from tomorrow. Complaints are growing and everyone should know that this thankless job is about minimising mistakes not perfection.
Fuba have every right to go for the financial kill having collected a reported Shs68m from last year. They may not admit as much but only way to achieve similar figures is if these play-offs go all the way like DMark Power-Kyambogo Warriors did.
That Game Seven won by Power had also been preceded by Warriors-UCU Canons semifinal being decided in a game five and Power-7UP Falcons going to four. Fuba announced that charges for this year will be Shs10, 000. Seven games imply a fan parting with Shs70, 000! If both semifinals go until game five, it adds up to Shs100, 000 since they are played on different days.
This is not considering the VIPs who must pay Shs15, 000 and players whose teams didn’t get this far ordered to pick a ticket at Shs5, 000. All this is hypothetical and there’s every reason to think it cannot happen. But then, fans are bound to take a deep though before watching the all games scheduled to finish on December 15.
Fuba might need to reconsider these fees especially for the semis. The clamour for selling the last ticket shouldn’t also compromise the eye for security which is key to spotless organisation. Fans often get in untended with the two-three policemen not doing much. This number should be increased. In a season curtailed by rain and power outages, the latter ought to be sorted.
Fuba can do so little about the weather with National Council of Sports (NCS) far from reopening the Lugogo Indoor Stadium. The date for its availability is a mirage without any concrete explanation. In addition, while we are bound to lose some games, the basketball administrators should also plan beyond he unreliable power which has led to so many late starts and finishes.
The most boring segment of this strip is the pressure umpires will face from tomorrow. Complaints are growing and everyone should know that this thankless job is about minimising mistakes not perfection.
# posted by afrbk : 14:26
