Soro axed from national basketball team

May 13, 2014

GEOFFREY Soro had no guarantee of making the 12-man national basketball team, Uganda Silverbacks, for next month’s FIBA Afrobasket Zone Five Qualifiers

By Charles Mutebi 

U-18 Zone Five championship

Girls

Uganda 62 Kenya 48

Rwanda 53 Kenya 52

Boys

Uganda 86 Kenya 58

Rwanda 62 Kenya 42

Tomorrow

Girls

Uganda v Kenya

Rwanda v Kenya

Boys

Rwanda v Kenya

Uganda v Kenya 

GEOFFREY Soro had no guarantee of making the 12-man national basketball team (Uganda Silverbacks) for next month’s FIBA Afrobasket Zone Five Qualifiers. But he had a good shout. 

Now it is all over, after the young forward became the latest player to be dropped from Mandy Juruni’s squad for lack of commitment to training. As New Vision Sport reported, Norman Blick, Isaac Afidra and Ronnie Kasewu were cut by coach Juruni from the team on Saturday after failing once again to turn up for training at Lugogo. 

Now Soro has been axed after a similarly poor attendance record of the team’s weekly training sessions at Lugogo. Soro was partly committed to Ndejje University on their way to winning the Zuku University Basketball League last month and his absences were tolerated by Juruni. 

But after missing Saturday’s workout without good reason, the coaches decided to move past the promising talent. The 2012 National Basketball League MVP is seen as a true up and coming star and until this point, had the reputation of a driven player.

There were no questions about his attitude following a three-year spell at Ndejje in which he has emerged as a natural leader.

But the coaches insist they have to hold their players to the highest standards of discipline if the Silverbacks are going to succeed at next month’s FIBA Afrobasket Zone V Qualifiers. It is a matter of principle over pedigree for Juruni and his team. 

“The numbers of players at training have been between five and seven and that is not good enough,” lamented Silverbacks assistant coach Gad Eteu. “We have plays and sets we want to run but we can’t do it without all the players who were named in the squad.” 

Uganda will host the FIBA Afrobasket Zone Five Qualifiers and have set a top two finish for both the Silverbacks and Gazelles (the women’s national basketball outfit). 

The national team committee authorised by FUBA president Ambrose Tashobya and led by Mohammed Santur are going to great lengths to ensure Uganda have a memorable showing.

In addition to raising funds that will make the Silverbacks and Gazelles comfortable during the tournament, the committee have pushed for a professional attitude among all national team players. 

It is this quest for professionalism that has made it impossible to tolerate missed training sessions and lack of focus from the players.

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