Basketball in Africa

Nairobi — THE country's basketball teams are facing financial challenges ahead of the qualifiers for the World Championship scheduled for Poland.

The event will be held in June.Men's sitting volleyball players from more than ten counties have met in Nairobi for play-offs to put together a national team of 36 players despite the financial woes.The sitting volleyball players have congregated in Young Men's Christian Association Hall in Shauri Moyo where the selecting panel will pick at least one player from each of the represented counties to the national team.

“The selection that will be done today (Friday) will be for 18 male players. We already have 18 female players. Once we have the male players, we plan to take all of them to training camp,” said Jane Adhiambo, Secretary General for Federation for Sitting Volleyball Federation of Kenya.The team is set to leave the country for Morocco next month where it is expected to battle out with other teams from around the continent I a bid to secure the Sub-Saharan ticket to the world championships.Financial problems are however pinning down efforts of Sitting Volleyball Federation of Kenya since they do not have a sponsor yet.The chairman of the organisation, John Karanja, said even though they were busy putting together a national team, they do not have adequate money.

“We will continue with the selection and the send them home for one week as we strive to look for a sponsor,” said Karanja.

The women's team, which is the Sub-Saharan champion, was constituted last year in September.

It is scheduled to leave the country for Rwanda on March 9 for the World Championship qualifiers.