12 March 2008

KENYA : Now National league throw off date set for April 19

Kenya national Premier League will now throw off on April 19, following the elections of new office bearers.

And at the same time it was welcome news for the games fraternity as Kenya announced intentions to return to continental competitions with a big bang.This will be both at club and continental level.

Making the announcements, Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) 1st vice chairman Henry Shihemi, told FIBA that newly the elected office's main priority is to make basketball the number one sport in the country besides looking for corporate sponsorships.

He said that Kenya will be busier at the continental level than ever before as KBF will enter teams in all continental competitions organised by FIBA Africa both at national and club level.

"We will participate in any continentally organsied championships both for the juniors and the seniors and this will start with the U 18 boys and girls Zonal qualifiers slated for Uganda mid this year." said Shihemi.

The Zone Five secretary Vitalis Gode have already released the expected dates for the Kampala show that will bring together youngsters from host Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya. The dates are June 16-24.

This move will surely exite local players many of who have waited for the opportunities to showcase their talents in vain. Kenya have been out of the Masculine championships since 1993 when it was held in Nairobi.They have been active only at the club level.

After a ten year's hiatus, KBF last September managed to send the ladies national side for the Feminine championships played in Dakar, Senegal where they found the going rough they fnished last last among tewlve teams in the event won for the first time by Mali.

Noting that the training of coaches and referees is a must for the competent running of the sport, KBF, he said will soon embark on this vital excercise to make the officials competent enough for the many assignments ahead.

Shihemi said that the 2008 season will start with the Pre Season tournament on April 5-6 to be followed by the Premier and Division One league matches two weeks latter.

Teams will use the opening tournament to gauge their strengths and test their new signings. A good number of clubs have already started training and are expected to increase the tempo now that the tip off dates have been released.

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