Basketball in Africa

The national U18 boys and girls team depart for Kampala on Sunday by road to take part in the Zone Five qualifiers that starts in Ugandan capital on Monday 11.
But the girls preparations received a huge blow when key player and top guard Yvonne Mashedi withdrew from the side that is undergoing intense training in Mombasa under coach Philip Onyango.
"We have been training in Mombasa and remain optimstic of our chances," says Onyango after yesterday's morning work out in a beach at the coastal city.
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) secretary Vitalis Gode told FibaAfrica yesterday that Mashedi, who also turns out for premier league side Sprite Storms, pulled out as she is pursuing a scholarship to the UK.
The other players yet to report to camp are Prime Minsiter's daughter -Winnie Odinga who is out of the country but will join team on Wednesday and Kisumu based Debrah Obunga who will also join the squad today (Monday).
The regional junior event that throws off at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium will involve the junior teams from Rwanda, Sudan, Eritrea, Burundi, Kenya and host Uganda.Tanzania and Somalia pulled out with Ethiopia yet to confirm.
In the boys category one player is in Western, two are in Mombasa five in Nyanza in school while seven are in Nairobi undergoing non residential training under coach David Maina.
KBF had named a squad of 26 players in both categories for the tournament whose winners will represent the zone in the Africa championships in Egypt for boys and Tunisia for the girls.

Dann O'werre