Kenya locked out of continental basketball tourney
What you need to know:
- KBF Deputy Secretary General Ambrose Kisoi said Fiba based their selection on the frequent returns filed by the federations, which he suspected Kenya has not been doing.
- “It is very sad that our youth will miss the opportunity to participate at such a high profile championships due to our own negligence.
Kenya has been locked out of the 3 on 3 basketball event that will take place during the second edition of the Africa Youth Games set for Algeria in July this year.
Olivier Kambire, the Fiba Africa Digital Coordinator and 3 on 3 manager in a letter to Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) secretary general Vitalis Gode, said Kenya did not qualify for the event and had therefore been locked out on a technicality.
Instead, Uganda and Egypt will be the only Zone Five representatives at this year’s youth event organised by the Africa National Olympic Committee.
Kambire did not explain why Kenya was locked out of the competition despite participating at the first edition of the All Africa Youth Games in Botswana in 2014, where they reached the quarter-finals and had one of the team’s players, Darril Omondi win gold in the dunking competition.
KBF Deputy Secretary General Ambrose Kisoi said Fiba based their selection on the frequent returns filed by the federations, which he suspected Kenya has not been doing.
“It is very sad that our youth will miss the opportunity to participate at such a high profile championships due to our own negligence.
The KBF executive must review how the 3 on 3 event is run in Kenya,” Kisoi said on Thursday.
FIBA MODULE
According to Kisoi, Fiba cannot allow any country to participate in its tournaments if there is no proof of activeness of the sport locally.
“We as a federation now need a full report of the 3 on 3 activities since its inception so that we can find ways of controlling the incoming event”, Kisoi said, adding that Fiba deals with federations and not individuals.
Kisoi said there is need for KBF to fully take charge in managing the event going forward so that the country is not caught in such a situation in future.
Efforts to get a comment from KBF vice chairman Hilmi Ali, who is in charge of the 3 on 3 event, were in vain as his phone went unanswered.
Elsewhere, a record 47 coaches are taking part in the Fiba module one clinic currently underway at Upper Hill School.
Fiba international instructor Ronnie Owino is facilitating the week-long event for new basketball coaches.
