About Country Basketball Academy

Country basket ball academy (COBASA) derives its name from our desire to brig basketball playing opportunities to kids coming from underprivileged families and the rural parts of the country. In Uganda basketball is regarded as a game for the elites, the rich and those in urban areas. Less than 1% of school in Uganda have basketball courts even in town areas. Only elite schools which are often very expensive are the ones that have basketball courts. This means children from underprivileged or poor homes stand no chance to play basketball.

At COBASA, we want to challenge and change the narrative that playing Basketball is a privilege for the rich kids. We do this by spotting, developing and promoting talented kids from poor communities within the rural and slum areas of Uganda by offering them a chance to play basketball.

We Give Poor Kids a Chance to Play Basketball

COBASA seeks start developing Basketball talents for kids as young as 7 years

Basketball as a means to Education

Majority of the Kids at the Academy play basketball as a means to education because many are orphans, or from very poor families who cannot afford to pay school fees for their education. So, by giving them a chance to play Basketball ball, they get a chance to quality for educational scholarships once they excel in the sport.

Poor Kids have excelled here

We have witnessed firsthand some of the kids we enrolled in the academy who could not even afford $10 as school fees to attend the cheapest school leave the academy to join schools paying $2,000 because they won an education scholarships, because they were given a chance to join our Basketball academy.

Skills beyond Basketball

On average kids in Uganda get a chance to start learning this game at the age of 15 years, if they get a chance at all, COBASA seeks to develop basketball talents from as young as possible. We dream to groom talents as a whole, so we teach our children other life skills to help them to grow to be responsible or community.

How COBASA was Born into existence

A Touching Story of the Head Coach at COBASA

“My dad and mum passed on when I was aged 9 and 12 respectively to HIV/AIDS. As the eldest child in the family of five, I had to assume responsibilities of the head of the family instantly. That meant, I had to work so hard to make ends meet for me and my siblings. During that difficult time, a local pastor adopted me in his home out of pure generosity where I joined 20 other kids he had adopted at a time. The pastor provided me with school fees, feeding and a place to stay but I still had to take care of my other basic needs and the needs of my siblings”

Selected Students Successful Stories

Over 50 kids who graduated from our academy are flourishing in their Basketball Careers in different capacities

From a hopeless Teen mother and school dropout, to a scholarship in USA.

When we met Maria, she was ordinary village teen mother living with a single mum and whole family was struggling financially. We introduced her to Basketball and since then, she has risen from glory to glory

Mariam Has Represented Uganda at U16 & U18 categories

Despite her talent, Mariam could not get a Basketball academic scholarship to a further her development in the sport after graduating from Primary. But against all odds, Has Represented Uganda at U16 & U18

Saima became captain of the biggest basketball school in Uganda

Saima is a good example of the importance of helping young people make right decisions at an early age. She went through our academy and joined the biggest basketball school in the Country

Meet the Academy Coaches

At Country Basketball Academy, we have a team of experienced coaches who have dedicated their time to nurture underprivileged kids into realizing their dream of playing professional basketball

Makanga Godwin Head Coach

Staff Name Designation