DESPITE failing to finish of the job in the finals of the 2009 Hima - Makerere 10s tournament, Silverbacks coach Gerald Nsenga has praised his team for their spirited effort.

The national team reached the final only to lose to Ugandan giants Utl Kobs 0-14.

On the road to the final, Silverbacks had pulled off convincing victories over Rams and Mean Machine.

In the quarters, Nsenga’s boys trounced Rams 20-0 before ousting Kenya’s Mean Machine 7-0 in the semi-finals. Nsenga now believes that with more competitive games, Silverbacks can develop into a major force to reckon with in the region.

"The team put in a remarkable performance and it’s evident that with more tournaments, the team can be a real threat,” the former Remera Buffaloes player said.

MTN Heathens retained the Main Cup, while Mongers strolled to the Plate Cup and Kobs claimed the Bowl category.

Heathens’ Robert Seguya was the most valuable player (MVP) and pocketed Rwf151.400. Heathens claimed the top prizes of Rwf1.2m courtesy of main sponsors Hima Cement.

The two-day tournament, which climaxed on Sunday, attracted 16 teams from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

Ends