Basketball league set for May 5 start

What you need to know:

  • The promotion of the four teams- two men and two women's teams- means the women’s league will now revert to the old system of 12 teams as opposed to the 10, which participated last season, while the men's league will have 12 teams up from 11 last season.
  • Ali, who failed to attend the meeting has been advocating for the September kick off, arguing that it will give the teams and the federation time to put their house in order, but the team managers would hear none of this saying they are comfortable with the league as currently constituted.

Four teams have been promoted to this year’s Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) National Classic League, whose tip off date has been set for May 5, bringing to an end the uncertainty which surrounded the start date.

Team Managers sitting in Nairobi, shot down KBF vice chairman Hilmy Ali’s earlier proposal to have the league start in September, saying it will make the players idle and even discourage several team sponsors.

The promotion of the four teams- two men and two women's teams- means the women’s league will now revert to the old system of 12 teams as opposed to the 10, which participated last season, while the men's league will have 12 teams up from 11 last season.

Ali, who failed to attend the meeting has been advocating for the September kick off, arguing that it will give the teams and the federation time to put their house in order, but the team managers would hear none of this saying they are comfortable with the league as currently constituted.

The League team managers' meeting at Railways Club, Nairobi last weekend agreed that Division One League winners Kisumu Lakeside and runners-up World Hope be promoted to the men’s league, while women’s Division one winners Footprints and runners-up Masaku Sparks will join the women’s top league.

This means that Lions and Zetech University, who finished in the bottom two positions, will be demoted to Division one.

KBF Fixtures Secretary Joseph Amoko, who chaired the meeting attended by majority of the league team managers, said they had resolved that the League tips off on May 5 and conclude in October without any postponement as was the case last year, when teams changed the fixtures to their convenience thus delaying the league which spilled over to February 2018.

“The team managers want the League to conclude within then stipulated time and thus the reason we have resolved that no matches will be rescheduled once the fixtures are out," Amoko said, while asking clubs which have other engagements during the period of the league to inform the fixtures committee, so that they are factored before the official fixtures are released.

Amoko has also appealed to teams to pay the league fees and ensure they acquire the players cards before kick-off saying no teams will be allowed to play without the players' cards.

At the same time, Amoko said three women teams have been included to the Division one women’s league to bring the number to 12.

Kisii University, Eldonets and Egerton University have been given the nod to the division not only to add the numbers, but also spread the games to other parts of country in effort to grow the sport.

With the Nyayo National Stadium still unavailable due to renovations, Amoko said other venues like United States International University, African Nazarene University will be approached to host other teams whenever they have home matches at their backyard.