Eastern and Northern Basktball League resumes

The Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA) has restored regional leagues that are aimed at identifying basketball talents across the country.

Eastern and Northern Basketball League that returned over the weekend at Soroti Youth Centre basketball court saw Solot Tigers Basketball Club crushing Lira Basketball Club 68-37.

A three-month league that is running up to February 2024 has registered five clubs from Lira, Moroto, Tororo, Mbale, and Soroti.

David Oranit, Eastern Uganda basketball coordinator says the sport returns three years after the suspension of all sports activities in 2020 which resulted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“FUBA have now introduced regional leagues as a way of giving the local people more mileage to exploit talents and also keeping the basketball crowd engaged,” Oranit said

According to Oranit, the league can be used to identify clubs that can be elevated to play at the national level (NBL).

“What we need right now is better funding to enable us to compete at different international events, to help us develop the sport from the grassroots,” he added.

“And we also need better facilities to be able to play the game. Often you'll be hosted to a dinner, have fun, and then what, after that?” he posed in rhetoric.

Oranit commended the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association for introducing a lower-level league that will unearth talents among the youth.

Basketball, like many other disciplines, has suffered in the past with a lack of facilitation that had them miss several international tournaments.

The game keeps growing at a snail’s pace as the unavailable facilities remain an unsolved issue.