17 October 2008
KENYA : ANC - KEN U18 boys team missed flight to Egypt but hopes not lost
The national U18 boys team failed to travel to Cairo, Egypt for the 16th Africa Nations Championships as scheduled on Thursday afternoon.
Henry Shihemi, the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) vice chairman and team manager got to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport slightly late and thus the team of 10 players and four officials could not get cleared for the trip.
Yesterday, KBF officials were making frantic efforts to have the team booked on another Kenya Airways flight that was due for the North African nation latter in the day for the tournament that was slated to throw off the same day.
"I was delayed at the Egypt embassy since there were about 50 passports to be cleared so I took alot of time there. When I was cleared, it was late and I was also caught up in a big traffic jam enroute to the airport." explained Shihemi.
Shihemi said that he would make all efforts to see that the four players whose papers were not ready would secured their travel documents today (friday) and that the team would make it to the Cairo event without any more hitch.
"I have already sent someone to the Egyptian embassy and I am also heading to the Kenya Airways booking offices where I am going to camp until an alternative flight arrangement for the team is got. I am hopeful we will make it." he said.
Despite all this the team coach David Maina said the boys would do well in the championships
KBF secretary Vitalis Gode confirmed that he had asked FIBA Africa official Jullien Bassam to re-arrange the draws to allow a late Kenya entry.
" I talked to Jullien about making changes in the draw to give the team more time to arrive and he said he would do that. That is good news for us." he said . Kenya risk a big fine if the team do not travel.
Kenya were pooled in Group B and will play in their matches in Moubarak Arena where they were top open the show against Angola.
Group A: Egypt (EGY), Mali (MLI), Senegal (SEN), Central Africa (CEN), Mozambique (MOZ) and Maroc (MAR).
Group B: Nigeria (NGR), Angola (ANG), Congo (CGO), Algeria (ALG), Kenya (KEN) and Côte d’Ivoire (CIV).
By Dann O. Werre
Henry Shihemi, the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) vice chairman and team manager got to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport slightly late and thus the team of 10 players and four officials could not get cleared for the trip.
Yesterday, KBF officials were making frantic efforts to have the team booked on another Kenya Airways flight that was due for the North African nation latter in the day for the tournament that was slated to throw off the same day.
"I was delayed at the Egypt embassy since there were about 50 passports to be cleared so I took alot of time there. When I was cleared, it was late and I was also caught up in a big traffic jam enroute to the airport." explained Shihemi.
Shihemi said that he would make all efforts to see that the four players whose papers were not ready would secured their travel documents today (friday) and that the team would make it to the Cairo event without any more hitch.
"I have already sent someone to the Egyptian embassy and I am also heading to the Kenya Airways booking offices where I am going to camp until an alternative flight arrangement for the team is got. I am hopeful we will make it." he said.
Despite all this the team coach David Maina said the boys would do well in the championships
KBF secretary Vitalis Gode confirmed that he had asked FIBA Africa official Jullien Bassam to re-arrange the draws to allow a late Kenya entry.
" I talked to Jullien about making changes in the draw to give the team more time to arrive and he said he would do that. That is good news for us." he said . Kenya risk a big fine if the team do not travel.
Kenya were pooled in Group B and will play in their matches in Moubarak Arena where they were top open the show against Angola.
Group A: Egypt (EGY), Mali (MLI), Senegal (SEN), Central Africa (CEN), Mozambique (MOZ) and Maroc (MAR).
Group B: Nigeria (NGR), Angola (ANG), Congo (CGO), Algeria (ALG), Kenya (KEN) and Côte d’Ivoire (CIV).
By Dann O. Werre
# posted by afrbk : 19:41
