Afrobasket Championship: Blick dropped from Ugandan team

By Charles Mutebi

Afrobasket Championship  in Tunis (Tunisia)

Dates: August 19—30


Norman Blick is not going for Afrobasket. Joseph Ikong is.

For many, there will be no bigger point of focus once Uganda’s 12-man roster for the Afrobasket Championship becomes known to the local basketball fraternity.

Blick, arguably the biggest name in Ugandan basketball, was considered a formality to be in the final squad even though he is no longer the high-flying slim reaper from his heydays.

Still, as a member of the team that helped Uganda qualify for the August 19-30 Tunisia tournament, the KIU Titans star was expected to make the cut, if only because of his pedigree and name.

But for Uganda Silverbacks coach Mandy Juruni, choosing his final line-up for the tournament was guided by the simple virtue of merit.

“I have been telling the players from last year that the Afrobasket team would be chosen on current form,” Juruni told the New Vision.

“I told the players the door is open and anyone can make the team. Those who have been performing at a high level in training have been selected.”

Norman’s chances were doomed once he missed a string of national team trainings, seen as a sign of non-commitment.

“There are over 50 young players working hard to be in the team so when players are called up, they are expected to be totally committed,” explained Juruni.

Blick is one of four players who were part of the Silverbacks Zone V Afrobasket Qualifiers not going to Tunisia.

Besides Ben Komakech, who’s still recovering from knee surgery, Ivan Lumanyika and Andrew Opio did not make the cut.

Lumanyika virtually averaged a double-double during last year’s Qualifiers but questions about his commitment and form have proved his undoing.

The four exclusions opened the door for three debutants (Brandon Ssebirumbi, Stanley Ociti and Dhal Marial) and a surprise return call in Ikong.

While Ssebirumbi was called-up for last year’s Zone V Qualifiers, he missed out because of club commitments.

Ociti is a US-based forward who left Uganda as an eightyear old and has played College hoops.

Marial currently turns out for local National Basketball League side Our Saviour. In all, the side has six locally-based players.


Silverbacks line-up: S. Omony, H. Malinga, J. Enabu, J. Ikong, S. Kalwanyi, D. Marial, & J. Johnson, B. Sseburimbi, S. Mukooza, K. Nagwere, J. Balugwaire & S. Ociti