Upon retirement from the American NBA in the mid-90s, Sudanese Manute Bol (RIP) made an unlikely journey back to Africa which ended with the big centre featuring for Power.
This brought the club their first national league title in 1996. Even after Bol left, he had opened a window that has seen several basketball stars from across East Africa come to Uganda.
It took time but the influx has grown so much in the past two to three years. Whereas, Ugandan footballers have preferred to play in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania, basketball is the total opposite.
In fact, all the four teams that featured in the men’s play-offs had foreigners except the eventual champions Power whose team is filled with Ugandans.
Of these, Tanzanian guard Abdullahi Ramadhan is the more prominent having guided Kyambogo Warriors to their first title in 2009. His antics on court thrill and annoy in equal measure.
He has played with Martin Okwako until the Kenyan forward moved to UCU Canons to link up with countrymen Geoffrey Omondi and Robert Mugabe. Warriors also have another Kenyan Michael Kariuku and Sudanese Markmot Orom although he didn’t feature in the post-season due to family commitments. At UCU, there is also Adams Njoroge and Ken Roti among other Kenyans. Kenyan Geoffrey Mwaniki and Tanzania Henry Mwinuka form the core of the KIU Titans squad. Two-time champions Nkumba Marines have Ladislas Ikungura and Danson Ngati in their ranks.
And few teams could beat Falcons when it came to employing foreigners until the latter stages of last season when most of them walked out due to non-payment of wages. The league record champions had Mike Buzangu, Karim Nkusi, Sudi Ulanga, Cedric Sinarinzi, Didier Gahorani and Albert Lukumba (all from Rwanda), Benevieu Ngandu (DR Congo) and Kenyan Richard Omondi, who recently crossed to Miracle Eagles. Ndejje University and other lower division teams plus some women sides, too have imports.
Power are yet to spread their wings across the border but you cannot rule out a Kenyan or any other nationality joining them just like Bol did 14 years ago.