<p>With the current crop of basketball players all having played basketball at least at HighSchool level , there is no reason why that sector shouldn’t be getting the attention it deserves.</p> <p>Many argue that the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations is not doing enough to giving a helping hand to the next Eric Malingas.</p> <p>According to newtimes.co.rw Uganda will be one the countries that will miss the U16 Zone V Basketball championship in Kigali Rwanda in May.</p> <p>Uganda won’t be sending a team to the games that also act as a qualifier for the Fiba Afrobasket U-16 tournament.</p> <p>The Rwandan site says only Eritrea has confirmed to take part in the tourney while Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda wrote to the Basketball Federation saying that they don’t have U-16 teams.</p> <p>But Justus Mugisha who is in charge of the youth rubbishes the claims from Rwanda.</p> <p>“The reason why we are not able to take the team to Rwanda is purely financial but we have many good kids who can play basketball at that stage,” Mugisha told kawowo sports.</p> <p>“We have handed over the U18s and U16s to the senior national team management and starting next year, we should be able to prepare well and play at all these continental engagements.”</p> <p>“Because it’s not just a matter of doing something because it has to be done the right way not to just be done.”</p> <p>The Fiba Afro basket U-16 girls’ tournament is slated for July 16-24 in Madagascar while the boys’ edition will take place in Mali in July.</p> <p>Excelling players at the championship will be selected for a camp that is organized by NBA during the summer where NBA players alongside NBA coaches meet and share Basketball skills and some recruit new players.</p> <p>In 2014 the U18 Zone V Championship which Uganda hosted saw both the girls and boys teams qualify for the Afro Basketball Championship but never played at the finals.</p>
