Basketball in Africa

Cooperative Bank of Kenya and Eagle Wings retained their crowns beating KCB Lions and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) respectively to become the year's biggest domestic basketball achievers.

The greatest rivalry in Kenyan basketball in both the men's and women's categories saw upbeat Co-op and Wings finish on top. Co-op shut out fellow bankers KCB Lions 2-0 while Wings came from a game down to claim the series 2-1 in the best of three finals.
Co-op narrowly beat KCB 71-69 in a fiercely fought Game One where they received as good as they got. But when Lions thought they were in with a chance in Game two, they found out early that they were no match for the winners who had 15 points from the much travelled Peter Kiganya before wrecking them 79-60. But the architect of the show was non other than diminutive play maker, Titus Musembi.
Wings reclaimed their national title by clobbering KPA 82-65 in the decisive Game Three. The saddest part of the day was the porters decision to boycott the awards ceremony leaving behind their runners up trophy, medals and certificates. KPA had won Game One at their back yard in

Africa Awards 2011
Divine Ndhlukula, Founder and Managing Director of SECURICO, winner of the 2011 Africa Entrepreneurship Award.
Mombasa with a close 53-46 triumph but in Game Two Wings pounded them 68-58 in an entertaining show.
Samba Mjomba led with 22 points, Angela Okoth collected 19 while Silalei Shani scored 17 for the champions. Mjomba and Titus Musembi were named Most Valuable players. The duo bagged Sh5,000 each for their feat during the play off finals.
Basketball Initiative gave out Sh50,000 each to the winners while the runners up were each given Sh20,000. In the same breadth.
Coast branch chairman Hilmi Ali also rewarded Co-op with Sh20,000 and KCB Sh15,000.
In the Lower Division, Kisumu Lakeside, another self sponsored side topped the rest beating University of Nairobi "Terrorists" to claim the title at home. But they had to do it in overtime as they found the campus lads were no pushovers.
At the regional level, Co-op, KCB and KPA were the country's representatives in the Zone Five club competition in Dar es Salaam. After training for weeks Eagle Wings sadly failed to make it to the Tanzanian port city due to financial constraints. KPA found the going tough finishing fourth before finally regrouping to beat home girls Jeshi Stars to win the regional event. Co-op suffered a shock loss at the hands of Burundian side, Urunani.
Both KPA and Urunani then flew the Zone's flag in the Africa club event in Nigeria and Morocco respectively. KPA wound up fifth position losing to eventual winners Inter Clube (Angola) 81-33, First Bank (Nigeria) 93-49, Deep Water (Nigeria) 78-50 and MG Maculoss (Angola) 59-56. It was even worse for the Burundians who finished 10th in the 12 team festival. They went down 77-90 to Al Ahly of Libya, 43-110 to AS Sale of Morocco, 51-70 to Al Ahly Libya and 44-84 to Union Bank Nigeria.
At the national level Kenya sent the women's side to Maputo, Mozambique for the 10th All Africa Games where the team finished sixth, one position short of the last continental festival in Algeria four years ago. The Inter provincial show in Mombasa was dominated by the Nairobi Basketball Association teams with Kenya Airways and Upper Hill School doing the branch proud by making it to the national Division One.
The incoming year (2012) will be an election year.