Power, Falcons faceoff in 'goldies night'

Jul 13, 2016

Power are too flawed to be considered title contenders at this point

National Basketball League (Today, YMCA)

Women: A1 v Stormers

Men: Power v Falcons 

For many years, this was the game of all games in Ugandan basketball.  

Now it's a cautionary tale about the perils of allowing bad management to become a culture. 

Power take on the StarTimes Falcons in the National Basketball League (NBL) today at the YMCA and while the clash offers the exciting individual matchup between Stephen Omony and Joseph Ikong, there is little else to look forward to.

Power are having a decent season, with a 7-3 record, but they are too flawed to be considered title contenders at this point.  

The Falcons are much worse, spotting 2-9 record that has left them fighting against relegation. Needless to say, it's a far cry from the dominant days of the record six-time champions, whose last championship came when founder John Simbwa was still alive. 

The Falcons, like Power, have always been dependent on individual and corporate support, many times at the expense of sound management practices. But as long as the formula - which actually brought them a combined 11 titles - was successful, they saw no need for a culture of professionalism. 

A culture that would probably have saved them once the Warriors and the City Oilers broke into the title lane. Now the two clubs are counting the cost after years of failing to win the championship (four for Power and nine years for the Falcons).  

Needless to add, Falcons fans will not be glad to hear their club has gone back to square one.

"We have to go back to the drawing board," admitted Falcons talisman Omony. "That's the fact. It's going to take us another two to three years to contend for the title. We are rebuilding now."

Power are stuck in the sick middle, where they are neither rebuilding nor really contending.

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