Afrobasket Qualifiers women: Natuhereza calls for unity

Feb 10, 2017

Natuhereza admits he’s taking over a successful team

Nick Natuhereza will be hoping for all-round cooperation when in his tenure as coach of the Uganda Gazelles.
 
Natuhereza was named to the post last week, ahead of the March 12-18 FIBA Zone V qualifiers in Egypt, replacing the long-serving Timothy Odeke - who was only the greatest coach in the history of women's national team.
 
The decision to replace Odeke was not needed but, according to National Team Management Committee chairman Mohammed Santur, timely.
 
"I felt that it was time to make the change because the team has some young players coming in and I feel the new coach will be able to create the best balance between the old players and the young ones.
 
"We want to have a dynamic team that plays with intensity and I think Natuhereza will be able to do that for us. You know, all these decisions are taken with one aim; to make the national team better."
 
Natuhereza admits he's taking over a successful team - the Zone V reigning Zone V champions - which initially made him wonder whether accepting the offer was a good idea.
 
"I didn't think the team needed (a coaching) change because they had obviously done well in the last qualifiers," Natuhereza told the New Vision.
 
"But in the end I saw it as a good opportunity, an exciting opportunity that I would be crazy to turn down."
 
Natuhereza adds, "If we don't qualify for the Afrobasket, it will be a disaster. So we have to do everything to achieve that. What I hope is that all the players see this as an exciting opportunity to achieve some great things and not just another tournament. I hope they will all be excited about it."
 

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