KPA ready for Fiba Africa event

KPA Managing Director Daniel Manduku (with the ball) displays his basketball shooting skills when he met the KPA women's basketball team at the KPA headquarters on November 1, 2019. PHOTO | PHILIP ONYANGO |

What you need to know:

  • “I have been working on the speed and rotation on my press defence which has now become very popular with the players and wants to perfect on it in today’s game before the Cairo event," KPA coach Mike Opel said after Friday morning's training session.
  • KPA, who hold a 2-0 lead in the playoff semis, take on Storms from 2pm in game three and a win will bring to an end the series, but should Storms pull an upset, the teams will play game four on Sunday.

Tough opponents await Kenya Ports Authority at the Fiba Africa Women's Club Champions Cup which tips off next week in Cairo.

The Dockers, who will be East Africa region's sole representatives at this prestigious event, will be using this weekend’s National Classic Basketball League semi final game three clash against Storms to fine tune the squad before coming up with the final travelling squad.

The team met the KPA management top brass among them, Retired Major General Joseph Kibwana, who is the KPA chair and MD Daniel Manduku at the KPA headquarters upon return from the Zone Five Championships in Dar es Salaam, where they successfully reclaimed the title.

Defending champions Ferroviario of Mozambique, former champions Inter Club of Angola, and hosts Al Ahly are some of the top African teams the Dockers are set to battle at this week-long event, whose finals will be played on December 15.

Other teams expected at this championship, which was earlier set for Madagascar, but has been shifted to Egypt by Fiba Africa include Air Warriors and M.F.B.B from Nigeria, Energie club from Benin, A.S.B Makomeno from Democratic Republic of Congo and Sporting Club from Egypt.

“We have been improving since 2016 when the championships were held in Maputo, Mozambique where we finished seventh, 2017 in Luanda, Angola when we were sixth and last year in Maputo when we finished seventh. We have a far much better team now and should easily challenge for the trophy," Team Manager Christopher Magic Ogutu said.

According to him, internationals Hilda Indasi, Natalie Akinyi and Vilma Awino, who are enjoying the form of their lives, are expected to lead the youthful squad, whose average age is 23 years at this event.

Other national team players in the squad, which has been undergoing intensive training at their KPA Hall Makande under coach Mike Opel include Becky Nkatha, Debra Atieno, Seline Okumu, Christine Akinyi and Beryl Aoko. Others are captain Brenda Angeshi, Beryl Milungo and Donsama Obonyo.

“I have been working on the speed and rotation on my press defence which has now become very popular with the players and wants to perfect on it in today’s game before the Cairo event," KPA coach Mike Opel said after Friday morning's training session.

KPA, who hold a 2-0 lead in the playoff semis, take on Storms from 2pm in game three and a win will bring to an end the series, but should Storms pull an upset, the teams will play game four on Sunday.