Players bring glitz and glamour to FUBA awards gala

FUBA Awards Gala

Ambassadors of the year

Uganda Gazelles and Silverbacks

Regular season MVPS

Women NBL: Joy Chemutai

NBL: Brian Namake

Women Div 1: Ruth Atuhairwe

Div 1: Jonathan Obukunyanga

D-League: Derrick Olama

Playoffs MVPS

Women NBL: Vilma Achieng

NBL: Kami Kabange

Women Div 1: Lynn Nalunkuma

Div 1: Wilber Pirwoth

D-League: Francis Ogala

Coach of the year

Timothy Odeke

Manager of the year

Silver Rugambwa

For the awards ceremony of a historic year like 2015, the FUBA Gala held Saturday at Imperial Royale perfectly captured how far Ugandan basketball has come and, crucially, how far it still has to go.

 The City Oilers receive a sh3m cheque from Airtel's Noela Byuma at the FUBA awards gala night

For every positive, there was a negative or two.

But the good stuff first, starting with the fact that the federation managed to hold an awards gala yet again. Though seemingly trivial, FUBA is not yet at the point where an annual awards gala is guaranteed. This one was nearly cancelled.

Secondly, the ceremony scored highly in the glitz and glamour department, with most players and officials dressed in honour of the function.  
Futher credit goes to FUBA's technical committee for going the extra mile to recognize as many contributors to the game as possible, leading to the creation of categories for top scorer and rebounders in all the divisions.

 MVP Vilma Achieng (right) with team mate Purity Odhiambo at the FUBA awards gala night

Yet on the same basis, FUBA can be accused of showing zeal without knowledge. While top scorers and rebounders are worthy of recognition, it is laughable to create a shortlist of nominees for these awards as FUBA did. It's not as if a player with second-highest points can be top scorer.

FUBA's choices for Brian Namake as National Basketball League (NBL) MVP, Kami Kabange as NBL playoffs MVP and Vilma Achieng as women's NBL playoffs MVP were largely justified yet Joy Chemutai's case as women's regular season MVP is suspect to say the least. Truth be told, she really should not even have been on the shortlist because even in her own team, you can identify three players who had a greater impact over the course of the season.

But then how do you explain that both Namake and Chemutai, FUBA's NBL MVPs, did not make the ALL NBL starting fives? How come? So then why are they MVPs? And how is Flavia Oketcho not the best point guard in the women's NBL when she was among the crème at Afrobasket and Africa Champions Cup? And when did Maureen Amoding become a small forward?

Or how do you justify Steven Wundi's inclusion on the ALL NBL starting five when he was really a non-factor in regular season? Or what is to be made of the non-remembrance of Michael Samora, Mariah Nakayima and Ben Gordon?

Yet perhaps the biggest gaffe was in recognizing the Uganda Gazelles and Silverbacks by a means of a simple certificate. The two teams responsible for the greatest achievements in the history Ugandan basketball deserved more. Much, much more.

Put differently, the 2015 FUBA gala left a lot to be desired even though it's worth being thankful for.