JKL Lady Dolphins forfeited their National Basketball League second-round opener, handing KIU Rangers a walkover on Saturday at UCU in Mukono.
The game was initially scheduled to tip off at 2pm, but the day’s fixtures had to be revised following an early downpour.
As a result, the new tip-off time was set for 4pm, a development the defending champions reportedly did not agree with.
Consequently, JKL Lady Dolphins were nowhere to be seen at tip-off time, and KIU Rangers were awarded a 20-0 victory.
The development also means that JKL automatically forfeits the first-round meeting with KIU, which they had originally won 68-47, in accordance with league rules.
According to FUBA competition rules section 4.18 (a), a club shall lose a game by forfeit if it refuses to play after being instructed to do so by the referee.
The sanctions under part C state that the game is awarded to the opponents with a 20-0 scoreline, while the forfeiting club receives zero points in the classification.
For a two-game home-and-away total points series, and for playoffs played in a best-of-three format, a club that forfeits in the first, second, or third game shall lose the entire series by forfeit.
What is happening at JKL Lady Dolphins?
JKL Lady Dolphins persevered with a slim squad during the first round after several players became unavailable.
They started the season without last season’s MVP, Hope Akello, who secured a move to play in Morocco.
Midway through the season, Evelyn Nakiyingi also left the country after featuring in seven matches.
Shadia Nassanga departed for a netball contract in Asia, while Brenda Ekone was attacked by thugs and has since been sidelined as she continues recovering from injuries.
On some matchdays toward the end of the first round, the team competed without a single player on the bench.
The club has so far added former Junior Gazelles star Shiphra Kiranda and Angee Melinda Laker during the ongoing mid-season transfer window.
Before their second-round opener on Saturday, JKL had requested a two-week pause for their matches as they sought to put their house in order.
On Saturday, they only had five players available around the initial tip-off time — Ritah Imanishimwe, Tamasha Nsubuga, Prossy Nankya, Agnes Njeri, and Melinda Laker.
Melissa Taliba (Seroma) and Shiphra Kiranda (Kitende) could not be released by their schools ahead of the Schools National Championships, while Charity Nantalo and Florence Oghunda were reportedly sitting exams at Nkumba University, a source told this website.
Flavia Oketcho is also said to be dealing with personal issues.
JKL threaten to pull out
In an interview with Sanyu FM on Saturday, club director Fredricks “Freedom” Owora said they had requested FUBA to postpone their games long before the fixtures were released.
“We have a couple of players injured while some are students and still doing their exams, so we requested for the games to be postponed and we will not be bothered even if we play back-to-back games,” Owora said.
“Other teams have been granted permission before to have their games postponed when having reasons like exams. We pay school fees for some of these players, there shouldn’t be double standards.”
“Their feedback is that a team has to be with a maximum of 18 players, but we are saying, can we add and fill all our six slots?”
“If they are not agreeing to that, then we are pulling out of the league.”
A team can only add a maximum of three players in one transfer window.
It is understood that JKL argued Kiranda was initially their player rather than a new signing following that transfer battle with Pearl Queens.
However, she has been approved as part of this transfer window, meaning the club now has only one slot remaining after also adding Melinda Laker.
It remains to be seen whether JKL Lady Dolphins will honour their upcoming fixtures against Miracle Eaglets on April 29 and Victoria She Crocs on May 3.
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