Oilers challenged to win Zone V

FIBA Zone V Club Championships (Kampala, October 1-8)

It's less than two weeks away and the hosts cannot wait to put on a show. 

The 2017 edition of the FIBA Zone V Club Championships promises to be a slam dunk and as yesterday's tournament press launch at City Oil Kamwokya showed, the event should be one of the highest quality. 

Besides the tidy aesthetics of the function held in the refreshing gardens below the City Oil complex, the media were informed that all is set. Basically, all that's left to do between now and October 1st is cross the Ts and dot the Is. 

Stanbic Bank's Michael Muhangi (L), FUBA vice president Nasser Serunjogi, Stanbic's Daniel Ogong and City Oil's Ahmed Hassan and Mohamed Santur unveil the officials' kit at City Oil Gardens in Kamwokya. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

It's rare for such certainty to attend with a locally managed event so many days ahead of schedule but then again, this is a City Oilers tournament. What else did you expect? 

The four-time defending national champions have redefined success since joining the top flight NBL and every season is only another opportunity for the organisation to scale new heights. 

Now it's time to put their event-management skills on display while, on the other hand, they fight to defend their Zone V crown. 

City Oil officials and Stanbic staff pose with some of the players. Stanbic announced a sh100m sponsorship for the event. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Enoc, Ling Long Tire and Stanbic Bank are the three partners that the Mandela Group, the Oilers mother company, have got on board and it's safe to conclude that the four will handle the bills just fine. 

"Why did we get involved with basketball or sport in general?" asked Stanbic head of marketing and communications at Stanbic Bank Daniel Ogong. 

"Because we believe sport is really one way of unifying Ugandans and it's also very good for lifting the profile of our country". 

Notable for their absence at the function were the other local clubs taking part in the Zone V event - Betway Power, UCU Lady Canons and KCCA Leopards - but the Oilers have so desired and it's their prerogative.