Trio to link up with basketball team in Cairo

Three foreign-based players will link up with the national men’s basketball team in Cairo for the Fiba Afro Basket Zone Five qualifiers.

The trio of Valentine Nyakinda (Seychelles), Tylor Okari and Bush Wamukota (both Europe) will link up with the rest of the players in the Egyptian capital for the week-long competition that serves off on Sunday.

The men’s and women’s teams will be looking to reign supreme at the biennial competition, whose winners will take part in the Fiba Africa Championships set for August 10-30 in Brazzaville, Congo.

Team officials were on Thursday meeting to finalise on the travelling list and forward the names to the Egyptian embassy to have the visas processed.

“We expect to either leave tonight or Saturday morning but basically we have done almost everything to ensure we are prepared to do well in this competition,” interim team manager Edson Wabomba said.

A surprise exclusion from the men’s team includes Tobias Ocholla, who has been the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men’s Premier league Most Valuable Player for the last four seasons.

International Desmond Owili will also miss the competition after he linked up with his new club in Australia.

Co-operative Bank’s James Mwangi and Nairobi City Thunder forward Griffins Ligare have made the cut in coach Carey Odhiambo’s squad. The team will captained by Joseph Khaemba of Co-op Bank.

STAR TRIO IN THE SQUAD

“We have been posting bad results in this tournament and it is high time we go and reclaim our lost glory,” Odhiambo said.

Women’s coach David Maina was set to drop one player Thursday from the list of 13 he had released earlier. Equity Bank Hawks trio of current MVP Mercy Wanyama, Samba Mjomba and Hilda Indasi are expected to feature prominently in the tournament. Indasi will skipper the team.

Former national team captain Silalei Shani was however dropped from the team.

Losing finalists KPA have dynamic quartet of Natalie Akinyi, Betty Kananu, Yvonne Akinyi and 2015 Zone Five Club Championship MVP Seline Okumu in the squad.

Kenya will come up against Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Egypt, South Sudan as well hosts Egypt in the competition.

The Kenyan ladies lost to neighbours Uganda in the final of the 2015 qualifiers held in Kampala, Uganda.

SQUADS

Men: Evans Leting, Joseph Khaemba, Victor Bosire, Mike Makiadi, Griffins Ligare, James Mwangi, Francis Ogolla, Felix Odhiambo, Kevin Kigotho Frakline Omondi, Phillip Ameny, Brian Namake

Women: Natalie Akinyi, Samba Mjomba, Betty Kananu, Yvonne Akinyi, Mercy Wanyama, Hildah Indasi, Purity Adhiambo, Selina Okumu, Grace Wanjiku, Lucy Machuma, Velma Awino, Belinda Akoth, Georgia Adhiambo