ESPOIR have made it clear that they want to hold onto Norman Blick for the 2008 basketball season.

Blick, a two-time Uganda’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) joined Rwanda’s 2004 league champions in the build-up to last year’s Gisembe memorial tournament on a temporary move.

And although Espoir fell to APR in the final, the Ugandan star played a formidable role in Espoir’s run to the final.

Speaking to Times Sport, Espoir’s club president Ernest Ruzindaza indicated that the club was aware about a move linking Blick to KCC’s Lions.

"We are aware of KCC’s intentions but Blick is not our player. He is a Nkumba University player who we are interested in. We want to bring him on board on a permanent deal," he said.

Uganda’s daily Monitor also reported that KCC is interested in three Nkumba University players; Norman Blick, his brother Donald (Blick) and one Carrol Bisereko.

The trio is the backbone of the varsity side and is said to have played a pivot role in helping Nkumba to Uganda’s 2005 and 2006 national league titles.

However, the varsity side’s coach Patrick Ssebuliba has vowed to hold onto his stars. "The players have not talked about it and I don’t even think any club can afford paying transfer fees for them," Ssebuliba bragged.

Espoir have not won any silverware since 2004 and Ruzindaza believes that they need to sign a few players in order to recover their lost supremacy.

"In the past, the club has been reluctant to make any significant signings because it survives on a very small budget.

"We don’t have the resources to keep ourselves busy in the transfer window but this time round, we want to sign wisely if we’re to win something this season.

"The club has good players but height has been their major undoing so we intend to address this problem very soon (by signing Blick)," Ruzindaza acknowledged.

Ends