Uganda is shifting its basketball focus upcountry after securing hosting rights for the 2026 FIBA AfroBasket U18 Zone V Qualifiers, with Hoima City emerging as the next hub for regional action.
The national federation, Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations, has earmarked the modern Hoima Arena at the newly developed Hoima City Stadium as the stage for the week-long tournament slated for June 14–20.
The decision signals a deliberate move to decentralize major sporting events from the capital, as Hoima prepares to welcome a diverse field of 11 nations from across the Zone V region. Teams expected include Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and South Sudan.
Beyond national pride, the stakes are high, with both boys’ and girls’ teams battling for slots at the continental U18 AfroBasket Championship.
Uganda heads into the tournament carrying momentum from the previous edition, where their junior sides dominated on home soil at Lugogo. That success now raises expectations as the country aims to replicate its dominance, this time with a new city and new audience at the heart of the action.
