Tuesday, June 14
Girls: Rwanda Vs Uganda – 4pm
Boys: Uganda Vs Tanzania
Junior Gazelles forward cum center Darlene Tashobya has expressed the team’s readiness at the U18 Afrobasket Zone Five qualifiers.
The Uganda U18 Girls Basketball team gets their campaign underway on Tuesday against Rwanda whose Boys team beat the Junior Silverbacks on Monday.
“It’s an honour to play for your country, and I feel we are ready to compete to give our best and represent our country well,” Tashobya told The-SportsNation.
This will be Rwanda’s second game having lost the opener 40-50 to Tanzania on Monday.
“They (Rwanda) are a good team, they know how to shoot and have good moments but we are good defensively, and we need to come out with much energy and play hard from the word go.”
Darlene Tashobya who started Basketball at eight while at Excel and has attended a couple of FIBA Camps, is the daughter of National Council of Sports (NCS) Chairman Ambrose Tashobya who is the former FUBA President.
She has represented Uganda at a couple of tournaments including the recently concluded World ISF School games in France.
Darlene, Priscilla Nambogo and Patience Karungi are the three players on the team that features in the National Basketball League with Nabisunsa.
And she is hoping to bank on that experience and exposure to get Uganda going.
“It’s an advantage, you know the pressure of playing in front of people, and what it means to play under pressure.”
It’s strong to note that 95% of the players on the U18 team were also part of the team that played at the The 2021 FIBA U16 Women’s African Championship where Uganda finished fourth last year in Cairo.
And the Girls want to represent Uganda at the U18 tournament later this year in Madagascar.
Tashobya added: “Playing at that level is crazy, and a ticket to the World Cup is also at stake there in Madagascar. That in itself motivates us more.”
Junior Gazelles Squad: Priscillar Nambogo, Karungi Patience, Darlene Tashobya, Sharifah Nalwadda, Mariam Namukwaya, Adongpiny Immaculate, Sharon Lamwaka, Sylvia Nantongo, Christine Namyalo, Shilla Lamunu, Zoe Atek, Namale Sarah, Rose Asiruku
Coaches – Mavita Ali, Rogers Serunyingo and Jonathan Egau
