y Charles Mutebi Staff writer
LOCAL league basketball has real potential to become genuinely popular in this country. That has pretty much been an open secret for all this century.
Sometimes, however, the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association appear oblivious to it. Local basketball’s governing body has had a marketing department for sometime now but it is safe to say it has not taken local hoops by storm.
In the federation’s new executive, this department falls under vice president media, marketing and publicity – Mr Ali Balunwya.
He has been in office for a week so no judgements can be passed although an introductory e-mail to the entire media fraternity with full contacts and a promise to meet their needs would have done Balunywa no harm.
Thing is FUBA have learnt to leave much of their publicity to the media. Granted the media partly exists to do just that but FUBA don’t have to leave the entire business of promoting their league games to the press.
For instance, a major basketball game can attract a mammoth crowd one night and no one in FUBA deems it necessary to announce during one of the several breaks that they will be interesting games tomorrow and the day after.
The YMCA is regularly packed on Friday night and empty on Saturday night. How?
Frankly, FUBA have to invest in marketing the sport.
True, they are operating on tight funds but what comes first, an egg or a chicken?