Basketball in Africa

By erick ochieng’

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) on Sunday granted teams voting rights at the national level.

The decision was made following day-long meeting at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday where the KBF chiefs unanimously agreed to ratify the act in the constitution by August.

Teams will now have authority to keep the national office in check. The kick-off of the KBF Classic League was delayed for more than a month early in the year as a standoff ensued between team managers, who wanted clubs to be granted voting rights at the national level, and KBF officials.

KBF on Sunday called for teams to be member affiliates, saying this would help strengthen their relationship. This would be done at a fee, which is yet to be decided by the federation.

Best-of-five

The federation also gave teams, which have not paid the league fees and players’ transfer money until Friday to do so.
"We have problems running the league due to lack of funds and this will make management easy," said KBF Fixtures Secretary Joseph Amoko.
The meeting also resolved that eight top teams from men’s Premier League, women’s Premier League, and men’s Division One each would qualify for the play-offs, which would be played on home and away basis, at the end of the year.

Like other leagues

Teams which make it to the finals would then play their matches to the best-of-five series like other leagues across the world.

Meanwhile, Mennonites continued with their good run by defeating Africa Nazarene University (ANU) 85-64 at a Men Division One match played at Nyayo Gymnasium on Sunday.

Collins Ochieng scored a game-high of 28 points for the winners and Edgar Kisali, who was inspiring for ANU, scored 26 points. Strathmore University lost 70-69 to Co-Operative Bank in the men’s Premier League. Strathmore ladies were defeated 46-40 by Mennonites in the women’s Premier League on Saturday.

But Yana, who lost to Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCA-U) 38-25 on Saturday, on Sunday overcame United States International University of Africa 66-55.

In the Nairobi Basketball Association League matches played at Railway Club on Sunday, Balozi edged Baraka Extreme 50-45 as Kenya Polytechnic University defeated Emyba 56-31. Nairobi Aviation also triumphed over Old Pirates.