The Ugandan senior national basketball team will not travel to Angola to compete in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African qualifiers set for November 26-28, due to lack of funds, according to a statement released on Wednesday.
Known as the “Silverbacks,” the team recently showcased good basketball, finishing sixth at the Afrobasket tournament that took place in Kigali in September.
The statement by the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA) stated that they have failed to secure funds from the government to facilitate their trip to Benguela – Angola.
“FUBA on a very sad note wishes to inform you that the senior men’s national basketball team (The Silverbacks) will not compete at the FIBA World Qualifiers – window 1 in Benguela (Angola) from 26-28 November,” it read.
“FUBA was informed by the government of Uganda, through the National Council of Sports (NCS) that there was no money to support the team for this particular campaign.”
“Having put a splendid performance at the Afrobasket finals in Kigali recently and making the quarterfinals, finishing sixth overall, this team had a genuine chance to be among the top five countries in Africa and make the World Cup for the first time in the history of Ugandan basketball,” the statement noted.
“The team has been undergoing intensive training on a daily basis in preparation for this campaign,” it added.
The Silverbacks needed approximately UGX 380 million to make the trip.
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CU/as/APA