Congested season spills over
What you need to know:
- For the first time a season year ended without the winners of the Kenya Basketball Federation national league being determined in all categories.
- In 2015, only the women’s play-offs final between champions USIU-A Flames and Kenya Ports Authority had to be pushed to the following year.
- USIU-A Flames, who had delayed last year’s play-off final because of their involvement in the Fiba-Africa Champions Cup for women, defeated KPA 3-2 on the best-of-three series to claim their second title.
For the first time a season year ended without the winners of the Kenya Basketball Federation national league being determined in all categories.
In 2015, only the women’s play-offs final between champions USIU-A Flames and Kenya Ports Authority had to be pushed to the following year.
USIU-A Flames, who had delayed last year’s play-off final because of their involvement in the Fiba-Africa Champions Cup for women, defeated KPA 3-2 on the best-of-three series to claim their second title.
This time round things were different as there were no winners determined in all the five tiers of the 2016 national league.
The new season which got under in April, had a record 56 teams taking part in five categories.
They were men and women’s Premier League, men’s Division One and Two including women’s Division One. This year’s play-offs semi-final and finals have spilt into the new year, which has never happened before.
Yvonne Akinyi of the Kenya Ports Authority in action during their Kenya Basketball Federation Women's Premier League match against Eagle Wings at Nyayo Stadium on April 16, 2016. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
Kenya Basketball Federation had an ambitious 2016 season with the expansion of the competition that saw the introduction of women’s Division One and the men’s Division Two.
KBF secretary-general Vitalis Gode admitted that the blotted competition lowered the quality of the game this season.
‘’Unstable fixtures were the result of failure to conclude the play-offs which had to be pushed to the new 2017 season. We have to seriously address the management of the league fixtures next year so as to separate the running of the Premier League and the lower tier league’’
Gode said there was no competitiveness in this year’s national league until the play-offs stage.
The season saw men’s champions Ulinzi Warriors surrender the Premier League title at the semi-final stage after Kenya Ports Authority knocked them out 3-1 in the best-of-five series.
Ulinzi Warriors’ Erick Mutoro in a past Premier League match at the Nyayo Stadium. Ulinzi host Nakuru Club on September 3, 2016. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
KPA, who last won the crown in 2014, was the surprise team of the season. The dock men had to wait until their last two matches against Trailblazers and Lions at home to qualify for the play-offs.
KPA fought hard from 1-1 tie in Mombasa to rock Ulinzi Warriors 62-53 and 76-72 in Game Three and Four to advance.
KPA had been ruled out after having a mediocre first leg.
They shocked many after they sneaked into the play-offs in fifth spot with 36 points. Co-op Bank, who have dominated the Premier League winning the title a record eight times, are again on course to lift their ninth championship.
Co-op Bank, eliminated tough Thunder 3-1 in the semi-final to set the stage with rivals KPA in the play-offs finals slated for January.
KPA women’s entered the history books for having qualified for the play-offs final with an unbeaten record. KPA, who topped the regular season with 36 points, are two games up 2-0 against Co-op Bank in the semi-final.
