As the National Basketball League champions, City Oilers, gear up for the Elite 16 Road to BAL tournament, uncertainties regarding the tournament dates continue to loom.
Initially scheduled for November 5 and later moved to November 12, the tournament still lacks final confirmation from FIBA, adding an extra layer of complexity to the team’s preparations.
City Oilers’ head coach, Andrew Tendo, expressed the team’s frustration over the lack of clarity.
“We have no idea. FIBA hasn’t yet confirmed the date for the tournament. We are still waiting for communication,” he stated during one of the team’s training session at the Lugogo MTN Arena ahead of the tournament.
Tendo suggested that the start date could face further delays due to these ongoing uncertainties, a situation that has kept both the coaching staff and players on high alert.
City Oilers will represent Uganda in the Division East category alongside seven other teams from nations including South Africa, Malawi, Burundi, and Kenya.
Only the top two teams from each division (East and West) will secure a place in the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, joining eight other automatically qualified teams to form the 12-team roster for the tournament.
Despite the unknowns, Tendo remains confident, pointing to three weeks of rigorous training and the recent arrival of four strategic additions to the squad, including Petty Parish, Germaine Roebuck, Falando Jones, and Israel Oyoro Otobo.
Coach Tendo is happy with the addition of Iasral Otobo in particular, and believes that the 6’7″ center who joins from Burundi’s Dynamo BBC, will bring the much-needed size to a roster that struggled in the previous BAL tournament.
“Last time we went to the tournament, we were lacking in size, and we have improved in that part,” Tendo said. “We got a new player who is one of our big men.”
City Oilers’ captain, Ivan Muhwezi is also confident in the team’s recent additions, and believes they bring in a lot to the team.
“These guys are good, so it’s going to be easy to blend in,” the captain said.
Petty Parish, who was instrumental in helping City Oilers claim their tenth consecutive league title in September, and featured for them in this year’s BAL appearance, voiced his optimism and excitement.
“I’m extremely excited. We did very well at the BAL finals last season, hopefully we can do it again.”
He highlighted a need to enhance rebounding and defense, if the Oilers are to go far in the upcoming Elite 16 and possibly BAL tournaments.
“One thing that we should be better at this year is rebounding and defense. If we can do those things, we can beat any team,” Parish asserted.
