Basketball in Africa

by PHILIP ONYANGO and CAXTON APOLLO

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s daughter Winnie Odinga has been named in the 22-member national under-18 girls basketball team for the Africa Zone Five championships to be held in Kampala next month.

At the same time, the Kenya Basketball Federation has appointed the first ever women basketball assistant coaches to the national teams. Former international Wilkister Oduor of Kisumu Cruisers and Sylvia ‘Sly’ Njeri , headcoach of Strathmore women basketball team.
The two will assist Headcoaches David Maina (boys) and Philip Onyango (girls) appointed earlier to handle the teams for the championships.
KBF secretary general Vitalis Gode said Odinga, a forward at BrookeHouse Academy has the size and agility and will be very useful in Kenya’s campaign for a ticket to the World junior championships in Spain next year.
“We have been monitoring all the players secretly and are satisfied that Winnie will make the final team and will play a very important role in Kenya’s campaign,” said Gode who also named the boys’ team.
The teams have been training separately in Mombasa and Nairobi and will go to camp in August in Kisumu 10 days before the championship starts on 11 August. Kenya’s opponents include Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea. At stake a single ticket to the Africa junior championships to be held in Tunisia for girls and Egypt for boys.

* National basketball league top sides Kenya Commercial Bank Lions and Co-operative Bank of Kenya are poised to grab maximum two first leg points against their opponents at the Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.

Lions, the only unbeaten side in the men’s Premier League, start as favourites against International Christian Centre (ICC) at 2 pm. On Saturday, Victor Odendo will be the main actor with support coming from Tobias Onyango, Yoni Wanambiro and David Otiso. Luka Lukongo and David Kyalo are expected to lead the ICC challenge.

Co-op Bank will rely on new signing Richard Osano as they confront lowly rated Java Warriors at 4pm. Wycliffe Ochieng, Lewis Muya and George Kamau will also be coach Carey Oketch’s preferred players for Saturday's task.

In the only women’s tie, Sprite Storms led by Anjella Luchivya and Irene Makori will host Kisumu-based Cruisers. Kisumu teams have been unable to honour their Nairobi fixtures and it’s unclear whether Cruisers will make it for the match.