Uganda Gazelles out of FUBA-LingLong affair

Friendly match

Today, Lugogo

Silverbacks v City Oilers

Entrance: free

The Uganda Gazelles will be out of sight during tonight's FUBA - LingLong affair at Lugogo but according to Grace Kwizera, they will not be out of mind.

The City Oilers cum national basketball team official explained that while the Gazelles will not be in action, unlike their male counterparts (Silverbacks), any financial benefits that result from the event will find their way to the national women's basketball programme.

The Silverbacks take on the Oilers in a friendly match that will double as a pitch for sponsorship to LingLong chairman Feng Wang, who is in Uganda on a business trip. In 2014, LingLong deputy director Merry Wang signed a two-year $60,000 sponsorship with FUBA that helped Uganda secure maiden qualification to the Afrobasket Championship - both women and men.

For Kwizera and the rest of the National Team Management Committee, the hope is Wang will renew the MOU with FUBA ahead of another around of costly national team basketball activities.

"We hope Mr Wang will offer us a new sponsorship package," conceded Kwizera during Monday's presser at Serena Hotel.

Asked why the Gazelles will not be on show, Kwizera replied, "Well, LingLong sponsor the City Oilers and so it was easy for us to organise a friendly involving the City Oilers because Mr Wang is in the country to check out all of LingLong's business interests.

"The issue is the City Oilers don't have a girls' a team so there was no way we could have the Gazelles in action. However, whatever money we get, it will obviously go the Gazelles as well. In fact, we generally spend more on the Gazelles than the Silverbacks."

FUBA vice president administration Nasser Sserunjogi also attended the press briefing and he said, "As FUBA we are planning to host the 2017 Afrobasket qualifiers and support from LingLong would go a long way enabling that".