While Watoto Basketball Club celebrated their ultimate promotion to the National Basketball League (NBL), Miracle Eagles had a distinct, deeply meaningful achievement to savour after being named the most disciplined team in the FUBA Division I.
The prestigious Fair Play Award brought smiles and a shared sense of pride to Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga, where the team gathered for an intimate mini-dinner to celebrate a recognition that means far more to them than a standard trophy.
For a team that ultimately fell short of top-flight promotion after losing to eventual runners-up KIU Titans in the quarterfinals, the award offered a welcome reward for a season in which discipline, integrity, and character remained central to their collective identity.
Under the guidance of head coach Tonny Drileba, the Miracle Eagles showcased remarkable resilience throughout the season. Standing in eighth place at the midway stage, the team underwent significant squad changes, releasing some players while bringing in new talent.
Though navigating that mid-season transition proved challenging, the young squad eventually found its rhythm, mounting an impressive comeback to finish the regular season in fourth place.
Their postseason progress was ultimately halted in the quarterfinals by the experienced KIU Titans, who went on to secure NBL promotion alongside division champions Watoto Basketball Club.
Watoto took home the Division I title, while KIU returned to familiar territory in the top flight. Watoto’s Emmanuel Omara Jr emerged as the season’s biggest individual winner, collecting five major awards including Playoffs Most Valuable Player, Regular Season Most Valuable Player, Top Rebounder with 346 rebounds at an average of 13 per game, Defensive Player of the Season, and Center in the Team of the Season.
Yet at Miracle Centre, the atmosphere was defined by a different kind of victory. Coach Drileba described his squad as a young, highly coachable group whose conduct throughout a gruelling campaign made the league honour possible.
“I believe we’ve had a very good group of players, a young team. They are very eager to learn. They are very disciplined. I think us getting this trophy is a testament to the fact that they are very disciplined throughout the season,” Drileba reflected.
From the opening tip-off, Drileba instilled a broader purpose within the roster.
“Right from the start of the season, one of the things that we emphasised was the fact that we are a basketball team, and we represent an organisation that’s bigger than us. We represent Miracle Centre,” he explained. “The way they carried themselves during the games and even out of the games got them to this position because this is not an easy award to win. It takes a certain level of consistency to be able to win this. I’m very proud that we represented this organisation well.”
Drileba, who remarkably balances his role at Miracle Eagles with duties as co-coach of KCCA Leopards alongside Ben Komakech and playing for the Namuwongo Blazers, noted that his passion for basketball and teaching the game makes managing all three responsibilities seamless.
He explained that a day has 24 hours, so finding time is not really an issue, noting that training schedules rarely clash and practice times allow him to fulfil every duty.
Looking back on the quarter-final exit, he refused to pin the loss solely on their two games against KIU.
“Everything we did leading up to those games in the quarter-finals is why we lost. We can’t really say we lost simply because of those two games,” Drileba said.
He added that had the tie gone in their favour, they might have qualified for the NBL as well. However, he stressed that preparations, recruitment, and overall performance must improve, promising that “the goal will remain the same: to qualify for the NBL, and that’s what we’ll push for.”
Leading the celebrations at the mini-dinner, Robert Kayanja, lead Pastor at Miracle Centre Cathedral, challenged the players and management to look beyond short-term on-court victories and focus on building an institution capable of standing the test of time.
Kayanja, who has spearheaded the club’s development alongside its executive team, emphasised that character and discipline form the indispensable foundation of any lasting entity.
“People come and go, and in Africa we never see such organisations in sports, in business and in other aspects of life because we love humans. We love people who can build something that can last long,” Kayanja declared.
He urged stakeholders to recognise the multi-dimensional value of athletics in modern society.
“First and foremost, we don’t understand that sports is business. Secondly, we don’t understand that sports is life. Thirdly, we don’t understand that sports is one of the natural beauties of life. It gives character. It’s like the military,” he said.
Using the military as an example, Kayanja pointed out that power without discipline cannot sustain an institution, citing the UPDF and the United States Army as organisations associated with discipline and character.
“You can have the power, but you never sustain it because of lack of discipline,” he added.
Expressing immense pride that Miracle Eagles earned the fair-play nod over every other team in the division, including the champions, Kayanja shared his enthusiasm for what the team achieved off the score sheet.
“This is our reason to celebrate. When they tested all the teams, the league was proud to say, ‘ This is where I want everybody to go. It is you guys’,” he said. “You can reach any level, but character is what will keep you there. Discipline is what will keep you there.”
Kayanja wants the club to turn that message into its core identity, suggesting that its 2027 advertising and team T-shirts should carry the theme of a team built on character and discipline.
He also challenged the management to use the award to tell a bigger story about the organisation’s work in sport, proposing that the media team put together footage from their football and basketball activities to produce a montage showcasing their contribution to sports development.
He believes such content would communicate the organisation’s commitment to responsible sport, especially at a time when many parents have concerns about their children’s welfare.
Additionally, Kayanja proposed a 2026 magazine featuring the players, the organisation’s achievements, and the fair-play trophy. For him, the publication could open doors beyond Uganda, given that Miracle Eagles already have an East African flavour with a court from Congo and players from South Sudan, Kenya, and Burundi.
He believes a stronger profile could attract supporters and partners from those nations, emphasising, “We are an East African team. And these nations are represented, well represented.”
However, Kayanja acknowledged that recognition alone will not build a sustainable organisation. He challenged management to strengthen five key areas: maintaining free services, improving finances, developing facilities, creating sponsorship opportunities, and strengthening recruitment.
On finances, he admitted the organisation still had work to do and called for fresh ideas to make the team financially stronger. He urged management to make better use of its facilities, including exploring the possibility of sponsoring a league to attract more players, fans, and supporters.
He added that recruitment must match the standards the organisation wants to maintain while strengthening community ties, and noted that facility development should extend beyond courts and offices to include residential facilities. His overarching ambition remains seeing Miracle Eagles grow into a championship-winning side capable of moving up to the NBL.
For assistant captain and shooting guard Vincent Kamya, the Fair Play Award served as a fitting validation after a gruelling campaign that tested the team’s collective grit.
“The season has been quite tough. We started off in a low tone, low mood, but then picked up, managed to qualify for the quarter-finals and, yeah, lost to the runners-up, KIU, at the quarters,” Kamya shared.
On an individual level, Kamya experienced a breakthrough season driven by newfound confidence, contrasting with the previous campaign where he struggled to believe in himself. Working hard to improve his game, he produced several 20-point and 30-point performances.
“Last season I didn’t have that much confidence, but this season I tried to up my game. I managed to come up with games where I scored 30 points and above, 20 points and above, just because of the confidence,” he said.
Yet, it was the Fair Play Award that held a special place for him, reflecting how the team conducted themselves both on and off the court.
“It’s more of a most disciplined team. What this means is based on the discipline of the team, how you interact on court, even off court, with your opponents. I don’t take this for granted,” Kamya said. “This is a very important award, and we cherish it as a team.”
Kamya expressed deep gratitude for Coach Drileba’s tactical guidance, pointing out how the coach elevated the squad’s basketball IQ and decision-making.
“He has made us understand the game more, how we play, why we do those plays and what’s the outcome of the plays. This has helped us win crucial games. We come down from 20 points down and then win the game by 10 or 20,” he explained. “His skill set has really helped us understand the game more and improve our IQ.”
Kamya also offered warm words for Pastor Kayanja, whom he regards as a father figure. Having grown up within the organisation through the I4WON programme alongside his brothers, Kamya has enjoyed Kayanja’s support since childhood.
“He has always been like a father to us. I’ve been here since childhood, so I’ve seen him, and he has seen me grow throughout. Even my brothers have been here,” Kamya shared.
He praised Kayanja for providing for the team, facilitating activities, and standing by them through every high and low. “He has always believed in us. Even when we lose, even when we win, he’s always there and supportive. We appreciate him and don’t take him for granted,” he added.
With Watoto and KIU moving to the NBL, next season presents a fresh opportunity for the remaining Division I sides. The competition will welcome Emperors Basketball Club, the Division II champions, alongside Kampala University (KU Men/KU Eagles).
Kamya believes Miracle Eagles have learnt enough from this season to approach their next campaign with renewed strength.
“This season has taught us a lot of things as a team, as a team player and as a person. We actually know where to change with the guidance of Coach Tonny, how to change and how to play better. Come next season, it’s going to be a different case,” Kamya asserted.
Though the championship and promotion dream remains unfinished, Miracle Eagles walk away with an award that reflects the core values they want to be known for.
Their next task is to turn the discipline that earned them national recognition into the winning formula that will finally carry them to the NBL.