Watch Press conference highlights here:
Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA) has announced Castle Lite as the new title sponsor for the ongoing season of the National Basketball League.
The announcement was made during a press briefing held on Thursday at Fairway Hotel in Kololo, Kampala.
This partnership signals a momentous stride for basketball in Uganda, with Castle Lite committing a substantial sum of Sh500 million for the current season.
The sponsorship deal may be renewed at the end of the season, after a thorough review.
Speaking at the press briefing, Douglas Karema, the Marketing Executive for Nile Special, expressed excitement about Castle Lite’s foray into basketball sponsorship, highlighting the brand’s commitment to supporting various sports disciplines across Uganda.
Karema stated, “Nile Breweries is the biggest Sponsor of Sport in Uganda, from Pool, Rugby, Football, and now Basketball. Basketball is going to be sponsored by our brand which is Castle Lite.”
The financial injection from Castle Lite is poised to provide much-needed support to FUBA, with Sh200 million earmarked for operational costs.
It has been revealed that portion of the funds will be distributed to clubs participating in the National Basketball League.
Marcus Kwikiriza, the CEO of FUBA, underscored the importance of team owners and their tireless efforts in driving the sport forward.
“Team owners carry a lot of weight, it’s a very hard task to get into the pocket to run a basketball team. I can’t commend you guys enough,” remarked Kwikiriza.
Further elaborating on the distribution of funds, Kwikiriza emphasized FUBA’s commitment to easing the financial burden on clubs to facilitate the smooth running of their operations.
“Part of our resources that we have been able to gather, we will sit down and agree on how we can ease that pressure with the clubs with some of this money,” added Kwikiriza.
“We understand that if we are to grow this sport, some of what we make we should be able to give you the clubs and make your work easier to run the club each single day.”
Last season, there was no prize money for the league winners, a situation that is likely to change this year for both men’s and women’s leagues.
