Basketball in Africa

BY JULIUS MBARAGA

THE late arrival of Ugandan, Kenyan and Burundian teams has forced the highly-billed Africa Nations Championship qualifiers (Zone-5 championship) in Kigali to be delayed by an extra day.

The show piece, whose grand opening was initially scheduled for this afternoon at Amahoro’s newly refurbished indoor stadium, will now be held tomorrow.
“We have been forced to delay the competition by an extra day because most of the teams arrive tomorrow (today),” the secretary general of the local basketball governing body (Ferwaba) Jean Lucien Mugabo revealed to Times Sport yesterday.

The five-day championship is expected to attract nine teams. Apart from Egypt that is only fielding one team (men), Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi will field two teams (men and women).

Meanwhile, Ferwaba also reports that Lycée de Kigali’s Gymnasium, NPC-Gymnasium, Kimisagara, Premature and Kigali Institution of Education (KIE) basketball courts will be used as training grounds for the teams during the championship.

Ahead of the championship, Uganda’s men’s basketball coach, Timothy Odeke is optimistic his team is capable of qualifying for the Africa Cup.
“I’m confident that we shall qualify. Apart from Egypt, the other teams are just like us and we are out to take the second slot,” Odeke said.