Uganda will host the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Division D qualifiers at Hoima City Arena from October 21 to 25, 2026, as the country seeks to raise its profile in African basketball and promote sports tourism beyond Kampala.

The five-day tournament will feature five clubs from across Africa, with Uganda’s National Basketball League champions, Namuwongo Blazers, representing the host nation. The other participating teams are Patriots Basketball Club of South Sudan, Urunani of Burundi, COSPN of Madagascar and Ushundzi Basket of Comoros.

Namuwongo Blazers secured the hosting rights after successfully bidding to bring the continental competition to Uganda. The event will mark the country’s first time hosting a Road to BAL tournament at the new international-standard Hoima City Arena.

The qualifiers form part of the qualification pathway to the Basketball Africa League, with the top two teams progressing to the Elite 16 stage. They will then continue their pursuit of a place in Africa’s premier club basketball competition.

Speaking during a media briefing at the Uganda Media Centre, Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA) chief executive officer Marcus Kwikiriza said hosting the tournament presents an opportunity for Uganda to showcase its sports infrastructure, hospitality and tourism attractions, particularly in Hoima, the country’s oil city.

The decision to stage the competition in Hoima is also part of efforts to decentralise sports and expand basketball beyond Kampala. Kwikiriza said the Ministry of Education and Sports had emphasised the importance of developing sports facilities and promoting sporting activities across the country rather than concentrating major events in the capital.

He noted that Uganda’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), alongside the development of multipurpose sports facilities, could help strengthen basketball, volleyball and netball nationwide.

Kwikiriza said Hoima City Arena was selected because it is among Uganda’s leading sports facilities and provides an opportunity to put the country’s new infrastructure to use.

“Our plan as a federation is to grow the sport out of Kampala, introduce it to as many people within the country as humanly possible,” Kwikiriza said.

He added that the tournament could encourage more Ugandans, particularly those from Kampala, to visit Hoima and experience its sports facilities and tourist attractions. Tourism partners are expected to help visiting teams and supporters appreciate Uganda’s natural beauty, although the five-day competition schedule may limit opportunities for activities outside basketball.

Namuwongo Blazers chief executive officer Daniel Muttu Obol said hosting the qualifiers would give Ugandan basketball fans an opportunity to watch continental competition on home soil without travelling to neighbouring countries.

The club expects the tournament to attract supporters from different parts of Uganda as well as neighbouring countries, including South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya.

To improve their chances of progressing to the next qualification stage, the Blazers have strengthened their squad with four international players: a Congolese point guard, an American shooting guard, a Nigerian big man and a Senegalese power forward.

Obol said the new signings were intended to make the team more competitive as it seeks to turn home-court advantage into qualification success.

“We don't want to host and not qualify,” Obol said, calling on Ugandans to support the team throughout the tournament.

The club also plans to sell its jerseys at cost during the competition to make them more affordable and encourage supporters to turn up in the team’s colours.

“This is not for Namuwongo. This is for Uganda,” Obol said, emphasising that the team would be representing the country on the continental stage.

Organisers have set ticket prices at UGX 25,000 for ordinary admission, UGX 50,000 for VIP access and UGX 150,000 for VVIP or courtside seating. Each ticket will serve as a day pass, allowing fans to watch all matches scheduled for the day.

Obol said the pricing structure was intended to make the tournament accessible to basketball supporters, particularly residents of Hoima and fans travelling from Kampala and other parts of the region.

Tickets will be available through the online ticketing platform, with payment options including MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Pay, Visa and Mastercard.

Two games are expected to be played each day. Proposed weekday tip-off times are 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm, while weekend matches are expected to start at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm. The final match schedule is yet to be confirmed.

As preparations continue for the October 21–25 tournament, Namuwongo Blazers will be seeking to capitalise on home support to advance to the Elite 16, while Uganda hopes the event will help grow basketball nationwide, showcase Hoima’s sporting facilities and strengthen the country’s reputation as a host of international sporting competitions.