Kenya's basketball finals tip off

The race to be crowned Kenya’s best men and women’s basketball teams enters its home stretch on Saturday when the finals play-offs begin at Africa Nazarene University in Nairobi.

KPA men face Blades while KPA women take on Equity Bank in games one of their best-of-five series.

The sides will clash again on Sunday at the same venue before games three to five - should the series last the distance - move to Mombasa.

The league organisers, Kenya Basketball Federation, got a boost on Friday when a local sports entertainment company, Enlightened Sports and Entertainment Network (ESEN) announced a sponsorship package of Sh800,000 for the finals.

Sponsorship from ESEN, a recent entrant into the local sports and entertainment field, will go towards winning purse, payment of referees, television production costs  and other logistics.

CAME ON BOARD

At a press conference in Nairobi to launch the sponsorship ESEN CEO Noah Mwale said: “Without the support of local companies, local sport will not flourish at all.”

KBF chairman Paul Otula thanked ESEN for coming to the rescue of the game saying that if live coverage could be made possible, the play-offs would become more visible.

“ESEN has come at the right time, and in pledging its support we are sure that the finals will be watched by more people,” said Otula said.

Mwale said ESEN planned to bolster local sports, by assisting federations to restructure their organisations and be more attractive to corporate organisations as well as increase their visibility and revenues.

“These are the types of partnerships that will create visibility for local sports, and ESEN would like to thank KBC for supporting local sports in the country,” said Mwale.

KPA men will be going for back-to-back titles, and with their the vast experience and the fact that the last three games will be played at their home court in Mombasa, they start as clear favourites.

The coastal men have polished shooting guards in Victor Odendo, Victor Ochieng, Joseph Ouma, Tobias Odumbe and Victor Bosire making their back court very solid.

With an experienced front court quartet of captain Samuel Ochola, Moses Wanjara, Evans Leting, Ariel Okal, Frankl Mayoti and Arou Ramadhan, the dockers will be good to go.    

“We have a lot of  respect for Blades, because of the immense talent and versatility of the players but I believe we will have a formula for them,” said KPA coach Samuel Kiki.

Blades start as underdogs this being their first ever appearance at this level.

They have a young and talent-laden team, buoyed by a dynamic back court five of Sammy Mogoko, Reuben Muraya, Joseph Ongoro, Peter Shilton and George Okoth and good forwards in Emmanuel Soja, Cliff Alela, Pascal Nabwana, Fidel Okoth and Brian Onyango.

The women’s encounter is expected to also be just as entertaining but KPA, who have beaten Equity five times locally and abroad this season, remain clear favourites to reclaim the title they last won five years ago.