Basketball in Africa

KAMPALA

One moment, Syrus Kiviri has the ability to play himself into the national team – Silverbacks – debate. He is then selected.
The next, the guard labours so much that he is the easiest scapegoat and an easy pick for failing to make the cut.
Once the decision of dropping him is close to being made, a second is needed.
The ‘real’ Kiviri shows up again. That has been the case for him in recent weeks.

Since moving to Falcons from UCU Canons, he has proved to be the perfect foil for veteran Stephen Omony.
The two have held the six-time champions afloat.
But then, last week Kiviri was selected to play in a practice game for Silverbacks against Kenya.
With the Fiba Africa Zone V Championships then only a fortnight away, he seemed to throw away as a below par performance coinciding with Jonah Otim’s brilliance in an 86-75 win.

On the brink
Otim and Kiviri are both guards on the fringes of selection.
Just when you could turn a blind eye, Kiviri responded last Friday.
He scored 34 points as Falcons beat UCU 74-68 in the Airtel National Basketball League.

On Wednesday night, he wasn’t just okay as he featured in a Select Side that played the Silverbacks.
While the game, whose buildup was narrowed around American-based 6ft 11in Brandon Ssebirumbi’s first chance to show what he can do here, Kiviri restored some respect.

Silverbacks won the tie 91-62 as Sweden-based Samuel Mukooza also played here for the first time, joining John Baligwire (US) and Josh Johnson (UK), who came earlier.

All had been invited to feature in the Zone V tournament, earlier scheduled for June 15-21 before it was postponed.
For Kiviri, that is ample to push his case again, starting with tonight’s game against KIU Titans. Omony will play after missing the last game.