The cat was let out of the bag when on July 31 Miracle basketball club unveiled Stephen Omony as their player at College Inn in Wandegeya.
Miracle outmuscled Warriors, Dmark Power and KIU to secure the signature of Omony who has spent nine months on the fringes since he dramatically walked out on Mountain Dew Falcons. Since Omony put pen to paper with Falcons for a record Shs 72m (most expensive player in Uganda’s sporting history), everyone was eager to know if Miracle had broken their bank to land the marquee player. So, what will Omony be earning anyway? Says Miracle chief executive, Brian Minge: “As club policy we don’t reveal the financial details of the club, so the fee is undisclosed”.
Omony indicated that the deal he has inked with Miracle may not be as lucrative as the one with Falcon when he said, “this time this is not about the money. When you look at the money factor you lose focus”.
Yet when Omony returned to Uganda from Seychelles in 2008 it was all about the money. Falcons certainly provided it with not only a sign on fee of Shs 2m, but also a two-year Shs 72m contract. Omony has since learnt from the Falcons experience. “Very important lessons,” he says, “were learnt from the Falcon experience and we have had careful talks on my contract so that will not happen again”.
On the court proper, Omony will be expected to guide Miracle to the coveted play-offs stage for the first time in their 15-year history. Omony was stopped by FUBA from having his debut on August 1 and had to watch Power pummel his Miracle 90-67. FUBA says that Omony’s transfer was not properly done and documentation is needed from Falcons.
There is no doubt that the documentation releasing the player will be gotten. But the main worry for the club and coach Brian Rugyendo will be how to incorporate Omony. A born leader, Omony has never been used to being led. This means Felix Olaba the Miracle skipper has to get ready to be the other man and not the main man.
Rugyendo is the other man whose grip on the team started fading the moment Omony put pen on the dotted line. Omony is not only a decorated player but he also holds a FIBA level two international coaching certificate, a qualification that puts Rugyendo in the shade. Rugyendo has coached for less than a year and been to not more than five coaching clinics held in the country. So how do you call the shots on a player like that? Omony is the represents the beginning of Rugyendo’s dressing room worries and headaches.
Rugyendo refutes this and Omony himself confers, saying: “I’m not a super hero or a small god, we have an agenda that is getting to the playoffs and Brian is the boss, so I have to listen to what he is saying”.
by Felix Eupal http://www.observer.ug/