City Oilers
Wikipedia - City Oilers
City Oilers is a basketball club based in Lugogo, Kampala, Uganda. The team competes in the Ugandan National Basketball League (NBL), where it has won nine championships, the most in league history. The Oilers currently also play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Founded in 2011 by a group of friends, the team is named after its main sponsor City Oil.
History
The club was founded by a group of friends who decided to play basketball together. They started playing pick-up games at courts in Kampala, with former national league players joining. Later, Justus Mugisha became head coach and suggested the team joined a basketball league. In 2011, the team was pitched to the director of oil company City Oil and the team was founded as City Oilers. The team started in the NBL Division III in 2011. Later, the team promoted to the NBL Uganda, which it would win eight straight years from 2014. Additionally, the team made several continental appearances, including the 2009 FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup.
The team played in the first round of the 2022 BAL Qualifying Tournaments where it finished the group play 2-0 but eventually withdrew before the start of the Elite 16. The following year, City Oilers qualified for the 2023 BAL season after beating Urunani in the third place game of the Road to BAL. The Oilers finished 6th in the Nile Conference, winning one game out of five.
The Oilers won their ninth title on 25 October 2023, following a 4-2 series win over the KIU Titans. The following month, they qualified for their second consecutive BAL season when they defeated Dynamo in the Road to BAL semi-finals on 25 November 2023.
In December 2023, Mandy Juruni decided to leave the club for an opportunity in Rwanda. As a response, the Oilers hired his assistant Andrew Tendo as the new head of the team.
The team was founded in 2013 and quickly rose to prominence in the Ugandan basketball scene. They have won multiple national championships and have represented Uganda in various regional and continental tournaments.
Known for their fast-paced and aggressive style of play, the City Oilers are a formidable force on the court. They have a talented roster of players who are skilled in both offense and defense, making them a tough team to beat.
Off the court, the City Oilers are known for their community involvement and commitment to developing basketball talent in Uganda. They regularly host clinics and camps for young players, helping to grow the sport at the grassroots level.
Overall, the City Oilers are a respected and successful basketball team in Uganda, and they continue to be a dominant force in the sport both at home and abroad.