Basketball in Africa

It is dispiriting when teams prepare for championships only to be disappointed in the last minute due to lack of funds.

This happens when players and the team management have spent their time and meagre resources in training for the events.

While we understand that the hard economic times may be a factor to the last minute withdrawals of teams from events, we must also appreciate this might not only reflect badly on the teams, but also create an impression Kenyans are poor planners.

Last year, former East and Central Africa Inter-Cities basketball champions, Nairobi City men’s and women’s basketball teams did not participate in the regional tournament held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Nairobi Basketball Association cited lack of funds for this, despite Nairobi women’s and men’s teams winning the regional titles the previous year.

This year, too, Nairobi City teams’ chances of taking part in the championship set for between March 24 and 28 in Arusha, Tanzania, are still hanging in a balance, owing to financial constrains. Nairobi Basketball Association has only raised a paltry Sh50,000 when the teams need Sh630,000.

Being teams that represent the capital city, which is believed to be endowed with enormous financial resources, it is ironical Nairobi teams may miss the event when Mombasa and Kisumu cities have teams in the tournament. Besides, it shows how Nairobi City takes such tournaments for granted in addition to being poor planners, more so, when it involves former champions.

The games offer an opportunity for participants to socialise and sharpen their skills and should not be taken lightly.