KPA in shaky start at Fiba Zone Five tourney

IN DAR ES SALAAM
Kenya Ports Authority found the going very tough at the Fiba Zone Five Club Championships here in Dar es salaam losing their opening men's Group "A" match 56-39 to Rwanda Energy Group (REG) on Sunday.

The dockers, known for their aggression especially inside the paint, were a pale shadow of themselves allowing REG, is Rwanda's second ranked team, to run rings round them for the entire encounter.

Victor Odendo, Arou Ramadhan, Martin Kitongo and Victor electric Ochieng, from whom much was expected, failed to live up to their reputation.

"We played very badly that is for sure. I want to find out what exactly is happening,"KPA coach Sammy Kiki said after the match. REG with Hamza Ruhegamihigo, Beleck Englibert and Behenu Ngandu pulling the strings led 12-7 in the first quarter and never looked back for a comfortable win.

GAME HIGH

Beleck Englibert scored a game high 15 points while Keneth Gasana and Olivier Syanka had ten and eight points respectively. KPA had only Victor Odendo with double digits scores at 13. KPA take on Eswa of Ethiopia in their second game today from 7.30pm. Others in their group are Smouha from Egypt, JKT of Tanzania and Cobra from Southern Sudan. In an earlier game Smouha humiliated Eswa 108-38 in a one sided match.

Meanwhile, KPA women play their first match against APR of Rwanda from 10.30am this morning. The women’s competition is being played on a round robin format

Strathmore Blades, the other Kenya men's team in this championships are in Group “B” that also has Wolkite from Ethiopia, Partriots of Rwanda, Al Ahly of Egypt, New Star of Burundi and Oilers of Tanzania.