When he moved from Power to KIU Titans in 2015, Norman Blick was expected to play a big role in KIU’s challenge for top honours in Ugandan basketball.
But after two seasons with the university side, the veteran player has neither pushed the Titans a step further nor exhibited the qualities of the player he is known to be.
Now, Blick wants to leave KIU and his next destination, if everything is sorted, will be newly-promted JKL Dolphins. Blick’s desire to quit KIU will not be easily granted because he still has a contract running, according to Titans head coach Hamza Nyambogo. But JKL manager Fredricks Freedom Owora says Blick has signed a contract with them and is already on their team list.
Owora accuses KIU of frustrating the player. Blick stopped training with the Titans three weeks ago and has since been attending JKL sessions at Namboole.
He has also moved into a house provided by the club and seems to be settling in at his ‘new’ club. For a player of Blick’s caliber, the last three years have been those he will want to forget so fast.
Having won the league title with Warriors in 2012, Blick moved back to Power where he and the team were swept 4-0 in the finals as City Oilers landed their second championship.
Falling out of favour at Power, Blick sought refuge at a new-look KIU. The team, seeking to make the league finals for the first time, had also signed veteran Henry Malinga and Geoffrey Soro from Warriors and Ndejje Elites respectively.
Things have not worked out for Blick though, as Nyambogo has barely used him in the last two seasons, preferring to play Kenyan small forward Samuel Agutu ahead of the experienced Blick.
For now, Blick appears on two team lists and has signed two contracts with the two clubs. His two-year contract with KIU was signed last December and gives the side the player’s services until December 2018.
