04 December 2014
UGANDA : Omondi hopes to end finals heartbreak after five losses
Omondi prepares to shoot during a previous City Oilers game at YMCA.
Omondi has lost in all his five finals apperances. PHOTO BY ISMAIL
KEZALA
NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
CITY OILERS VS. POWER
TOMORROW AT LUGOGO: GAME 2
SUNDAY AT LUGOGO: GAME 3
WED AT YMCA: GAME 4
CITY OILERS VS. POWER
TOMORROW AT LUGOGO: GAME 2
SUNDAY AT LUGOGO: GAME 3
WED AT YMCA: GAME 4
KAMPALA. As City Oilers slithered away in
celebration after clinching their historic first National Basketball
League title with a grilling 4-3 victory over Falcons last year, one
man’s shoulders dropped; his face home of agony. Kenyan guard Geoffrey
Omondi was the man behind that face. The 6’4 star had cut a similar
picture in five painful finals. First he twice lost the finals with
Charging Rhino to Power (2003/4), then once to KCB with Kenya Ports
Authority (KPA) in 2009.
The former UCU guard’s other losses in the finals came in 2012 when Warriors beat his Falcons; and of course last year at the hands of then top division debutantes Oilers.
Now an Oiler, the 32-year-old will have gone into Game One of the best-of-seven series against Tiger Head Power starting last night hoping to be six-time lucky.
“Sometimes you can’t force things,” he says, “I can’t say it will be the end of life if I don’t (win ring) but sometimes you do your best and hope your teammates also do their best.” “Even in NBA some good players have retired without winning the ring.” Ex-Lakers’ Karl Malone is one of the biggest NBA stars to retire without a ring. “Sometimes you can’t force things, it’s a team sport. But I haven’t given up. “Of course I pray to finally win my first title but like I said, it won’t be the end of life in case things didn’t go our way.”
Omondi added: “Maybe I will win it this year, maybe next year, God has his way. The good thing we have players who now have experience in winning the league. We want to win it so as to qualify for Zone V again.”
Oilers made the finals after coming from 2-0 down to sidestep UCU 3-2. It was an escape from the den. “To be honest we didn’t expect to go far after we lost the first two games to UCU,” Omondi admits.
The former UCU guard’s other losses in the finals came in 2012 when Warriors beat his Falcons; and of course last year at the hands of then top division debutantes Oilers.
Now an Oiler, the 32-year-old will have gone into Game One of the best-of-seven series against Tiger Head Power starting last night hoping to be six-time lucky.
“Sometimes you can’t force things,” he says, “I can’t say it will be the end of life if I don’t (win ring) but sometimes you do your best and hope your teammates also do their best.” “Even in NBA some good players have retired without winning the ring.” Ex-Lakers’ Karl Malone is one of the biggest NBA stars to retire without a ring. “Sometimes you can’t force things, it’s a team sport. But I haven’t given up. “Of course I pray to finally win my first title but like I said, it won’t be the end of life in case things didn’t go our way.”
Omondi added: “Maybe I will win it this year, maybe next year, God has his way. The good thing we have players who now have experience in winning the league. We want to win it so as to qualify for Zone V again.”
Oilers made the finals after coming from 2-0 down to sidestep UCU 3-2. It was an escape from the den. “To be honest we didn’t expect to go far after we lost the first two games to UCU,” Omondi admits.
“After the first two games, we sat down and
agreed to forget that we were 2-0 down. We said that we should take Game
Three like any other game in a regular season that we must win, and
then the next, and the next.
“Now we can’t afford to put ourselves in such a difficult situation again against Power.”
“Now we can’t afford to put ourselves in such a difficult situation again against Power.”
HIS BASKETBALL ROAD
• A family friend who was in the army team in Mombasa used to take Robert Mugabe (his brother) to help him shoot.
• Asthmatic then, a young Omondi’s mum would not allow him to play any game but he would escape with his brother and be punished on return.
• He never gave up until he joined Mombasa Baptist School team in Form One. Rest is history.
COACHING
• Got certificate at YMCA and in Lira
• Currently coaches A1 Challenge.
• Also once coached Lady Canons.
• A family friend who was in the army team in Mombasa used to take Robert Mugabe (his brother) to help him shoot.
• Asthmatic then, a young Omondi’s mum would not allow him to play any game but he would escape with his brother and be punished on return.
• He never gave up until he joined Mombasa Baptist School team in Form One. Rest is history.
COACHING
• Got certificate at YMCA and in Lira
• Currently coaches A1 Challenge.
• Also once coached Lady Canons.
ON RETIREMENT
He plans to play on until his body says ‘stop.’
LOST FINALS
2003-04: Charging Rhino (lost twice to Power)
2009: Lost with Kenya Ports Authority to KCB
2012: Lost with Falcons to Warriors
2013: Lost with Falcons to City Oilers
He plans to play on until his body says ‘stop.’
LOST FINALS
2003-04: Charging Rhino (lost twice to Power)
2009: Lost with Kenya Ports Authority to KCB
2012: Lost with Falcons to Warriors
2013: Lost with Falcons to City Oilers
SIXTH-TIME LUCKY?
2014: His City Oilers face Tiger Head Power in Omondi’s sixth finals. Will he end the duck?
FORMER CLUBS
2003-04: Rhino,
2005 – 2008: UCU,
2008: KPA in Kenya, 2009-11: UCU
2012 – 2013: Falcons
CAREER HIGH POINTS: 31 for UCU but they lost that game to Marines.
amwanguhya@ug.nationmedia.com
2014: His City Oilers face Tiger Head Power in Omondi’s sixth finals. Will he end the duck?
FORMER CLUBS
2003-04: Rhino,
2005 – 2008: UCU,
2008: KPA in Kenya, 2009-11: UCU
2012 – 2013: Falcons
CAREER HIGH POINTS: 31 for UCU but they lost that game to Marines.
amwanguhya@ug.nationmedia.com
# posted by afrbk : 15:08
