In a statement released on Wednesday 27th, JT Jaguars Sports Club has queried the eligibility of the 2 new City Oilers players, Chad Bowie and Kurt Curry to feature in the 2025 NBL Playoffs.

The JT Jaguars finished as the number two seed and will be taking on the City Oilers, who finished 7th, in the quarter-finals in a 3-game series.

However, there has been a dark cloud of uncertainty regarding the new City Oilers players on whether they would feature or not.

On Tuesday 26th, the City Oilers, through their social media accounts, put out videos of Bowie and Curry, training at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.

This immediately brushed away the shades of doubt as to whether these 2 would be available to play and now came the question of eligibility.

During the mid-season transfer window, the City Oilers signed Bowie and Curry from Rwandese Side Kepler and many expected to see them in action during the regular season.

However, that was not the case and that is when some people begun speculating that perhaps the 2 wouldn’t be able to join.

All those speculations were quashed on Tuesday 26th.

The JT Jaguars boss, Dr. Jeff Teya, is questioning how the 2 were cleared yet there seems to be a law that would have prohibited them.

According to the FUBA Competition Rules and Regulations Handbook 2025, Section 3.05(h) states;

“For international transfers, players must physically append their signature on the hard copy of the club bio-data form within 14 days of receiving a Letter of Clearance (LOC)”

Section 2.02(k) states;

“A player is considered registered only when they have physically signed the team’s registration form during the registration window”

Section 2.01(a) states;

“Clubs must submit a duly signed original hard copy of the
club bio-data form to FUBA offices before the season begins”

For one to understand Dr. Jeff Teya’s argument, all the 3 articles must be put in consideration.

Where is the problem with this?

We are yet to be informed on how and when the 2 signed on the bio-data form but  Dr. Jeff argues that they did not do it in the right/legal way.

According to the article titled, FUBA ‘hypocrisy’ in the Observer, Dr. Jeff states that, “unless Fuba, the sports-governing body can prove to us that those players came into the country and signed on their documents within the stipulated time, then they are ineligible to play in the playoffs.”

In the same article, the FUBA President Mr. Nasser Sserunjogi brushed off Dr. Jeff’s argument saying;

“That is not what the article that Teya is quoting reads. It only calls for the player’s signature. Period. In case the player is outside the country, the document on which they have to sign can be sent to them, and they append their signature from wherever they are, and send it back here”

Mr. Nasser is very right in his argument because the law doesn’t in any away state that the signing of the document has to be done at the FUBA office or within the country.

Matter of fact is, we don’t even know whether the original document was taken to them, they signed physically and brought it back, or not.

Despite Mr. Nasser being right, there’s a caveat.

The President is not the one responsible for the interpretation of the law and he’s not the responsible for transfers or eligibility of players. The Competitions Council (CC) is the one responsible for that.

How does CC interpret and enforce the law?

According to Dr. Jeff, CC has always demanded that the players go to the FUBA office and sign on the bio-data form.

He gives an example of Brenda Akon, a JKL Lady Dolphins player, who hadn’t been cleared until she signed on the original hard copy of the bio-data form in person.

Another example was Rin Tueny Mabor of Rezlife Saints who was not allowed to play until he appeared physically at the FUBA offcice and signed on the original document.

Many of the mid-season signings had to go to the FUBA office to physically sign. It is uncertain if this was applied to all but majority of them say they had to appear in person at the FUBA offices.

In one of the emails from CC to Livingstone, they urged Asiku Dickson, Livingstone’s new signing to go to the office and and append his signature.

In another directed to the Brenda Ekon, they urged her to append  her signature physically lest she seized to have been part of the JKL Lady Dolphins.

It said, “we regret to notify you that this request to have another individual sign for you has been declined. The CC notifies you that unless you physically append your signature on the JKL Lady Dolphins roster before the first round ends, you will not be considered as having been a JKL Lady Dolphins player for the 1st round, despite your name appearing on the roster”

Why did CC enforce appending of the signature physically?

This was done to prevent forgery as another person could easily sign for another person.

What happens next?

We have no idea how the 2 players appended their signature. 

If they came in the country and signed, there is no problem whatsoever.

If they never came, that is when the questions start being asked.

How did they sign?

If it was electronic, or maybe they signed physically and sent a scan, that is outside the law.

If they took the documents to them and they signed physically, who was it?

Was it a CC member?

If it was, then there is 100% certainty that it was them who signed on the form.

If it wasn’t, then there is not certainty of who signed on the forms.

Nonetheless, if these options were available, then all the teams should have been told and many would have explored them.

If CC was strict and keen that all other signings come to the FUBA office to append their signature, why would they treat this case differently.

They had already set a precedent.

However, if you are to follow the law. It in no way says one must come to the FUBA office.

The problem shall be on how the law is interpreted and we shall be awaiting the final decision.

According to the article in the Observer, some teams have threatened to boycott.