We are to win both championships playing to our identity – St. Noa Girls head coach Abel Omongin
St. Noa 69-62 KIU Rangers
St. Noa 71-72 UCU Lady Cannons
With just four days left to the region school sports pinnacle championship, the Federation of East African Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games, all schools are making final touches to fully sharpen players for the kick/tee off.
Former City Oil basketball player Abel Omongin who is currently the St. Noa Girls Secondary School-Zana head coach expressed his side’s readiness ahead of the 21st edition of FEASSA Games.
“Currently, the team is looking better than what it was during the Nationals.
We are thankful that the progress of the girls is getting better each passing day. Each training session and friendly we are seeing good things on the shooting and defence.
We like the discipline in the team and we think this is what is going to help us compete and have the championship our way”. Abel Omongin.
St. Noa concluded their trial games with a 69-62 win against NBL side Kampala International University (KIU) Rangers and a 71-72 defeat to UCU Lady Cannons at St. Noa and UCU Mukono campus respectively.
The soft spoken tactician further stated it right that they target less than both championships in Bukedea.
“Our primary target is to win both 3X3 and 5X5 championships, and not only winning but winning the championship in the right way.
We are going out to play to our identity, that kind of basketball well known to the identity of St. Noa . So our goal is to play well and we are sure when we play well we have what it takes to win any championship.
The beauty about sports is, it’s something that requires discipline, too emotional and at times emotions come painfully but with each championship and each loss, we have been growing.
I feel the team is now mature and we have learnt a lot. Sometimes you need to go through the losses to get that grit to understand what it takes to win”.
While reacting on how his side has lost the last three finals of both National and FEASSA against the same opponent Kitende, Abel Omoning said;
“You can’t know what it takes to be number one until you have been number two and you have that hunger.
The girls are hungry and I like the hunger in them and we can’t slip in these FEASSSA Games”.
Omoning also believes his side’s strength is the defence and the only task he has is to edit the ball movement.
“Our biggest strength is going to be our defence. I like what we are doing on defence and I like their consistency.
In basketball, the defence wins the championship. We are currently editing our ball movement and I think if we get everyone involved no one can match our class”.
St. Noa won the 2024 Wakiso Region championship beating the all time champions St. Mary Kitende by 67-49 in the final.
The Zana based side lost 33-30 to St. Mary’s Boarding Secondary School in the National championship final held in Ndejje.
St. Noa have won only one FEASSSA trophy. They beat St. Mary’s Kitende 73-62 in the 2019 final in Arusha, Tanzania.
St. Mary’s Boarding Secondary School Kitende is the most successful side in girls basketball in Uganda, with 12 National titles in a row.
In the last ten years, Kitende have won five FEASSSA championships.
They have only missed the 2018 Musanze Rwanda championship. They lost to Buddo SS in a 74-34 landslide score.
In the following year’s championship in Arusha, Tanzania in 2019, Kitende lost to a fasting growing giant St. Noa Girls Secondary School-Zana in the final.
This year’s FEASSSA championship will start on 16th August 2024.
Bukedea Comprehensive School and Amus College School in Bukedea are co-host to this year’s edition
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