By Isaac Akugizibwe

KIU Main Campus - KIU basketball team head coach, Julius Lutwama and deputy captain Sharon Kirabo have been called to Uganda’s senior women’s national basketball team, the Gazelles that will represent the Country in the 2025 FIBA Zone V qualifiers from February 3rd-10th in Cairo, Egypt.

 In a press release published on Monday, January 20th, 2024, the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA) named Julius Lutwama as deputy to the new head coach, Nicholas Natuhereza. Natuhereza was elevated to the helm to replace Goran Lojo, who FUBA said had left the association in search of greener pastures elsewhere. 

This appointment will be Lutwama’s second engagement with the National team (Gazelles) in six months having been part of the contingent that camped in Germany for what was then referred to as ‘’a high-performance training camp’’ in July 2024.

‘’It is, always good to work with the National team. You get to work with the best coaches at that level,’’ Lutwama said after the appointment.

‘’I intend to exchange my knowledge with my seniors but learn more,’’ he added.

Among the 15 players coach Natuhereza and his deputy Lutwama summoned is Sharon Kirabo who will be making a second consecutive appearance on the National team roster in six months. The KIU Rangers’ deputy captain returned to the Gazelles squad during the July 2024 high-performance training camp in Germany.

Kirabo’s call is a reward for her exceptional performance last season as she helped KIU Rangers to a third-place finish in the regular season but fell short in the semifinals at the hands of UCU Lady Canons. The 28-year-old forward averaged 11.5 points and nine rebounds per game all season.

‘’It is good to have your player at National duty but at that level, it is all about the player. This is because everything we share with her might not count at this level,’’ Lutwama commented on Kirabo’s call to the National team.

The Gazelles squad also includes former KIU Rangers star, Perus Nyamwenge who currently plays for KCCA Leopards, and other local-based players led by multiple National Basketball League MVP Hope Akello. Zoe Atek, Sarah Namale, and Maxine Anyango have earned their first National team call. 

The fifteen-member Gazelles team also includes a sizable number of foreign-based players; Jamila “Zama” Nansikombi, formerly of JKL Lady Dolphins and now based in the United States, China-based Jane Asinde, veteran Claire Lamunu, and Melissa Akullo.

Uganda enters the Zone V qualifiers with the aim of securing a ticket to the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afro Basket. The Team is expected to start training on Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, at Lugogo Indoor Arena, Kampala.