21 January 2016

TUNISIA : Championship (Playoff) - Day 2 Results

Tunis, — Results of Tunisia's national basketball Championship playoff day-2 games played on Wednesday afternoon:
Ariana:
JS Manazeh - S. Nabeulien 70/83
Rades:
ES Rades - C. Africain 75/78
Hammam-Sousse:
ES Sahel - US Monastir 83/78
Standings:
PTS G
1) ES Sahel 5 2
2) US Monastir 3 2
-) ES Rades 3 2
-) S. Nabeulien 3 2
-) C. Africain 3 2
6) JS Manazeh 2 2
NB: ES Sahel was awarded one-point bonus for having finished first at the end of the first phase.

UGANDA : Hima Heathens seek to shed laboured displays

Kampala. As champions, one would expect Heathens to show up with mercurial displays week in week out. But they have looked off song this campaign so far.

They are yet to play like the side that lifted the league last year, but they have a chance to start over again when they host struggling Warriors.

“The draw against Pirates was a wake up call for us, but we are taking every game more serious,” captain Michael Wokorach told Daily Monitor.

Maximum points for Heathens will see them go top of the table as leaders Kobs play 24 hours later against Impis. But Wokorach thinks the season is still long and a lot will happen in the coming weeks.
Today at Kyadondo
Hima Heathens vs Warriors 5pm

20 January 2016

UGANDA : USPA names Kabange, Okecho Basketball Players of the Year

Kami Kabange (C) was named the best basketball player by USPA Kami Kabange (C) was named the best basketball player by USPA © Kawowo Sports / AISHA NAKATO
City Oilers’ center Kami Kabange and KCCA Leopards’ point guard Flavia Okecho were today morning voted as the best basketball players in their respective categories for the year 2015.
The pair was named by the Uganda Sports Press Association members at their monthly gathering at Imperial Royale Hotel.
Kabange led his side to their third straight league title, he was also pivotal in his side’s second place finish at the Zone 5 Club Championship held in Kigali, Rwanda.
He will also be expected to be a front runner for the MVP award when the FUBA Awards dinner is held later this month.
For Okecho, her displays with the national team in the Women’s Afrobasket championship held in Cameroon were unrivaled.
She also led her KCCA side to second spot at the Zone 5 Club championship in Rwanda to qualify for the Afro Club Championship in Angola.

UGANDA : Phenoms look to storm the NBL with a bang


Phenoms players line up before a game at UCU Phenoms players line up before a game at UCU Courtesy Photo
A year ago, Destiny Phenoms were involved in a must-win game with Uganda Martyrs’ University (UMU) Flames to fight for their place in the second division.
The Mukono outfit won the game to survive relegation and send UMU to the lowest division in Ugandan league basketball.
Fats foward, Phenoms may not have won the championship this year but they got what every team in Division I plays for - promotion to the top tier.
The real work starts now and head coach Samuel Lukaire is well aware of the task ahead of him and his charges when the 2016 season tips off.
“Like most of the promoted teams, our target will be to avoid relegation,” he revealed to Kawowo Sports.
“We can then look at building a team that can enable us compete. We shall see how to restructure the team for NBL, it is lots of work in a short time but we’ll see how it goes,” the former UCU Canons player noted.
Early preparations for the league will be paramount for the team and Lukaire with his troops are planning to start preps as early as possible.
“We are still on holiday now but we start plans early January,”
On top of trying to retain the core of the team that gained promotion, Phenoms will be tasked to bring in more experienced players to lend a hand to the likes of Peter Ssenfuka and Jonathan Obukunyango in the league endurance.
Battling with the top teams in the country won’t be Phenoms alone, their ladies’ side; Javon Ladies were also promoted to the top division and will also face the same task of fighting for their space up there

18 January 2016

ZAMBIA - Magic in National Title Hunt


FORMER national champions Matero Magic sent a strong message about their title ambitions in the Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA) Sprite National Championships play off with an emphatic 15-point win yesterday.
Southern zone's Matero Magic beat CEC Cavaliers from the north via a 80-65 scoreline underlining their intentions to have a run at the national championship.
CEC Cavs will hope to regroup today and make amends as the two teams square up for game-two.
In the B league, all north teams match up, Don Bosco used the home court advantage to edge Ndola Takers by a basket in a close game and that makes for a good rematch when they take to the court for game two. Don Bosco edged Takers 78-76.
In the feminine league, LCC Lootresses blew the CEC Queens away by 20 points which exposed the difference in class between the South and North region in terms of the women game.
Lootresses swept their Copperbelt hosts and they should finish their business today and head home to wait for the semi-finals that are scheduled for Lusaka.
In the other game which was at the halfway mark by Press time, the north champions CBU Robins were trailing Napsa Breeze by 13 points.
Napsa Breeze were ahead 27-14 and the Robins never looked like they would be able to erase the deficit.
By Press time, other games that were to be played involved Mansa Select against Solwezi Panthers for the B League .

ZAMBIA - Lunga Bullets Sneak Into Semis


Lunga Bullets sneaked into the Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA) Sprite National Championship semi-finals on point difference after they tied 1-1 with the resurgent Hawks.
But there was no sweat lost for Matero Magic after they hypnotised CEC Cavaliers at the games played at Don Bosco courts in Chingola.
Lunga were quick off the block taking game one by 20 points in the midnight match on Saturday 80-60.
The north's most dominant team was oozing with confidence going into game two but the Hawks had no intentions of lying down. They threw everything at Lunga to win game two 75-56 .
The ties were tied at a game each and Lunga proceeded by virtue of scoring one point more than their Lusaka opponents. Lunga survived after picking up 136 points against 135 for Hawks.
The battle tested Magic did not have to go into the technicalities as they swept Cavaliers in two games.
Magic won game one by a 15-point margin before picking a 35-point win in the second to underline their championship title aspirations.

NIGERIA . First Bank BC Begins Training, Signs Seven New Players

First Bank Basketball Club will begin training for the 2015/2016 season at the sports hall of the National Stadium today with 10 old and seven newly signed players with one other serving as a player for the future.
According to coach Peter Ahmedu, who made the list available at he weekend, the returning players are skipper Chioma Udeaja, Atosu Upe, Iornumbe Regina, Nkechi Akashile, Ulabo Queen, Juliet Chinyere, Elawure Odion Tina, Adekoya Biliqis, Akaraiwe Nkem and Chidinmma Nwakama
The new players, who successfully went through screening, which had 30 players in attendance, are Daniel Buki Idowu, Benin Republic import Kondoh Aishatou, Ezeh Jennifer Adaezeh, Anaswen Josette, Isuombut Mary Okon, James Happy Rita, Kato Magdalene and Akinbode James Onome Mary, who is making the team as a player of the future.
Ahmedu stated that the new players were selected based on their all-round ability on the basketball court. He noted that they were tested on their ball handling skills, offensive and defensive play, their positioning on the court and their level of stamina.
"I must admit that basketball requires lot of skills and any player who hopes to be a successful basketballer must have vast knowledge in basic skills of the game. However, a good player must also have the stamina to go all the way. Basketball demands a lot of energy and at First Bank BC, we need players that can complement their skills with stamina.

KENYA- USIU-A and Equity all square after game two

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United States International University- Africa (USIU-A) won game two of the women's Premier League semifinal playoffs 46-45 on Sunday to tie the best-of-five series with Equity Bank.
On Saturday, Equity won game one 64-57 after coming back from 29-38 down at halftime. USIU-A won 19-18 and 19-11 in the first two quarters. But, the bankers rallied in the second half to win 21-6 and 14-13.
Samba Mjomba was the top scorer for Equity with 22 points while Sarah Chan replied with 13 for the students.
OIn the second game, USIU-A overcome a poor start in first half to narrowly win and get back into contention. Head coach George Mayienga welcomed the slim but important win. “We needed any type of a win today,” he told Sports News Arena.
The first quarter was uncharacteristic of the league champions as they could not find the rim with ease. Chan was guilty of missing many attempted shots including two free shots. Angela Okoth also missed two free shots in the quarter and teamwork was lacking from the students.
Mjomba did good rebounding for Equity as they took a 2-0 lead before tying 2-2. Equity then went on a 12-0 scoring run to lead 14-2 with just over six minutes played. They had the biggest lead of 14 points at 18-4 and won the quarter 20-9.
With four minutes played in second quarter, Equity held steady to their 14-points lead at 23-9. They remained consistent after six minutes leading 25-11 then extended to 16 points at 27-11 which was their biggest lead of the quarter.
In the closing three minutes, USIU-A brought their “A” game to counter the free-scoring bankers. Cynthia Irankunda scored five points and Chan made four as USIU-A went on a 13-0 scoring run to cut the deficit to three points at 24-27.
The students won the second quarter 15-9 as Equity led 29-24 at halftime.
The turning point
Three successive turnovers from Mjomba, Denise Apondi and Linda Mfuchi in the first two minutes of the third quarter gave USIU-A the with Chan scoring four points and Georgia Adhiambo adding two. It brought the students to within a point of the bankers at 30-31.
Cynthia Irankunda then fired a three-pointer with 5:00 on the clock to tie the scores 33-33. A free shot from Angela Okoth gave USIU-A a 34-33 lead and extended to 39-33. USIU-A won the quarter 15-8 for a two-point lead of 39-37 going to fourth quarter.
Within five minutes of fourth quarter, the scores tied 42-42 after Eleanor Musundi made two free shots for Equity. Musundi then scored a basket to give the bankers a 44-42 lead but Irankunda tied 44-44.
Okoth scored a basket for USIU-A to break the tie and Equity could only manage a free shot as they won the quarter 8-7.
Mayienga said the turnaround in second half was as a result of good pressure management by his players. “We were not prepared for this one. After playing a lousy game on Saturday, the girls were under pressure. When you put them under pressure, they play badly and that was the case in first half,” he noted.
The coach added: “At halftime, I just told them to play easy and ease the pressure.”
Masaku Sparks benefited from a 20-0 walkover against Ulinzi Blades.
Co-operative Bank finished fifth in men's Premier League after beating Equity Bank 55-46 in their ranking game. Titus Musembi top scored for Co-op Bank with 11 points while Enock Ogecha scored 13 for Equity.
Blades came seventh with a 20-0 walkover against Nakuru Club.

RWANDA - IPRC-South, Patriots keep momentum in hoops league

Sunday
U18 Team 57-54 Rusizi
Saturday
Men
UR-CASS 44-80 IPRC-South
Patriots 59-52 APR
UGB 78-60 Rusizi
IPRC-Kigali 56-38 U18 Team
Women
UR-CASS 44-57 IPRC-South
Title hopefuls IPRC-South and Patriots continue to show why they are the two teams to beat in the race for the basketball league title after maintaining their winning streak over the weekend.
IPRC-South beat rivals UR-CASS 80-44 at the UR- Huye campus gymnasium as Kagugu-based Patriots overcame former champions APR 59-52 on match-day 5 on Saturday.
In a game that looked balanced and defensive in the first quarter, Huye-based Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre, (IPRC-South), who now have a 4:1 ratio this season, dominated all four quarters; 11-10, 25-05, 21-11 and 23-18 respectively.
Rwanda international Sunny Niyomugabo scored the game high 20 points while team captain Bienvenue Niyonsaba and Didier Ishimwe contributed 15 and 14 points respectively. Edmond Joie Igabe and Burundian Arnaud Ciza scored 16 and 12 points for Charles Mushumba’s UR-CASS.
On the other side, a victory for Henry Mwinuka’s Patriots over APR saw them stay top of the table standing with a maximum 10 points and 5:0 win ratio from five league games. The defeat also saw Cliff Owuor’s military side down to a 2:3 win ratio.
Elsewhere, United Basketball Generation registered their first win of the season with a 78-60 victory over Rusizi while U18 National Team lost 56-38 to Albert Buhake’s IPRC-Kigali.
editorial@newtimes.co.rw

14 January 2016

ZAMBIA - Sprite Basketball Thrills On


The Sprite Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA) 2015 national championships start tomorrow at the quarter-final stage with the B league teams opening proceedings before big guns join the fray.
Friday's games will see Ndola Takers play Mansa Select at the Don Bosco courts in Chingola as Solwezi Panthers do battle with Don Bosco. Fixtures in Lusaka will see EHC Nishati Denvers play Intrepid Bulls prior to ZCAS Blazers taking on Matero Magic-B.
Perennial favourites UNZA Pacers and Matero Magic are expected to go the distance but they have to be wary of the Northern Division champions Lunga Bullets, who have dominated the north league without much sweat.
This Zambian Breweries sponsored championship will pit four teams from the south against four from the north. For the B league, the best four teams from the north slug it out for two spots in the semis against rivals from the north.
The playoffs will be on a two game series meaning that the team that wins both or in case of a tie, higher on points tally, advances to the semi-finals.
Pacers play Ndola Nets on Saturday before Green Buffaloes face CBU Comets while the women's category will see UNZA Honeys entertain Chingola Sparks with Shells primed to stop Lunga Woosters in the other fixture.
On the Copperbelt, the action will be at Don Bosco courts in Chingola on Saturday it will then shift to CBU courts on Sunday where Matero Magic look set to hypnotise the CEC Cavaliers.
The closest game probably in these match-ups will be between Hawks and Lunga Bullets, while the women's category will see LCC Lootresses play CEC Queens and NAPSA Breeze up against the north champions CBU Robins.

13 January 2016

KENYA - Usiu, Equity Bank Clash As KBF Play-Offs Semis Tip Off


United States International University (USIU) face Equity Bank in the semi-finals of the women's National Classic Basketball league.
Joseph Amoko, the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) fixtures secretary said the women's play-offs were postponed to give USIU time to participate in the Fiba Africa club championships in Angola last November.
He revealed the semi-finals, to be played on best-of-five-series, will see the first three games played on January 15, 16 and 17 at the Nyayo National Gym while game four and five will be played on January 23 and 24.
According to Amoko, winners in the semis will travel to Mombasa for game one and two of the finals against Kenya Ports Authority on January 30 and 31.
The rest of the final matches, to be played on best of five series, will be played in Nairobi in the first week of February when the 2016 basketball season is expected to conclude at the Nyayo National Stadium.
"It is unfortunate that we have to play last year's play-offs into this year because of the international assignments some of our teams had last year, but this will now be a thing of the past considering that we have re-structured the league and reverted to the old format of a straight league with a reduced number of teams," Amoko said.
Amoko said the All Stars game, which will serve as a pre-season tie for the league, will then be played in February before the league begins in March.
Amoko, who is also the team manager of the Kenya under 18 basketball teams for the IGAD games to be held in Djibouti mid this month, said the teams have stepped up their training in Mombasa and Nairobi awaiting official residential training dates which will be released by the government.

UGANDA - Basketball flows in the Enabus’ veins


The Enabu dynasty: Emma, Ivan and Jimmy Enabu pose for a photo before heading to Rwanda for the 2011 Zone V Championships. Photos by Swaib Raul Kanyike 
By SWAIB RAUL KANYIKE

Posted  Monday, January 11   2016 at  10:28
In Summary
Mention the name Enabu and anyone around you will switch their mind to the basketball players; Maurice, Dennis, Mark, Ivan, Evelyn, Jimmy and Emma. The Enabus have dominated the basketball court for more than a decade so much so that they have become a household name.
In the 1990s, the Malinga brothers (Henry and Eric) and the Blicks (Norman and Donald) were the flagship siblings of basketball.
They achieved a lot and set the ball rolling for another set of siblings, the Enabus, who have since made the basketball court their own.
The Enabus (six brothers and a sister) share nine national basketball championships amongst them.
Face-to-face with the ball
Maurice Enabu, the eldest, introduced the game to his younger siblings. At Kabojja Secondary School, he learnt the art of playing basketball and slowly imparted it to the rest.
Dennis followed suit and before long, Mark joined. However, Maurice and Dennis soon left for Canada. Mark was now an upcoming star. He put in a lot of hard work and joined local basketball giants, DMark Power.
At Power, he kept working hard and became the first in the family to win the national basketball league championship in 2008. That became the catalyst for more hard work from the other youngsters.
Behind Mark, Ivan was in quick pursuit at Entebbe-based Knight Riders, which he led to promotion. In the top flight, a young Ivan mesmerised both players and fans with his mazy dribbles and mature ball-handling skills.
The stage was now set for greatness, many predicted. Before long, UCU Canons snapped him on a study scholarship.
After leading Uganda to the 2005 Zone V Championships and being named MVP, Ivan was lured to the Mukono-based institution in 2006 and started playing for their senior team a year later.
Jimmy made his league debut in 2007 with Knight Riders. Emma joined him later. Their time to shine came after Knight Riders’ relegation. They became its stars and led it back to the top division before moving on; Jimmy joined Ivan at UCU while Emma crossed to Power.
“Yes, we learnt from our older brothers but basically, Knight Riders gave us the perfect start. Being young boys from Entebbe, we found it easy to train there and showcase our talent. It was in our neighbourhood and it made everything easy,” remarks Jimmy, the most decorated of all, with four league championships.
However, things did not go well for Ivan and Jimmy at UCU. There is no doubt they turned the university side into one of the biggest teams in the men’s elite league, but they failed to lead it past the semi-final hurdle on three occasions. They thus left in 2011. Ivan joined Warriors while Jimmy joined Power.
“For me, it was basically about moving on. I had given UCU my all and besides, I had achieved my main dream with them - graduating with a Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) degree. So I needed to look for more challenges on the court and also grow into my professional career,” says Ivan.
Whereas Ivan and Jimmy were looking for their first championship, their younger brother, Emma, had already won one with Power in 2010.
Their sister, Evelyn, had also won the women’s league with UCU Lady Canons in 2008.
Brother-turned-opponent
When Ivan and Jimmy left UCU for Warriors and Power, respectively, they were searching for their first league silverware. At Power, Jimmy teamed with Emma to devastating effect.
They became every basketball fan’s joy to watch. Their speed at shooting guard and point guard, respectively, left opponents quaking and made the fans cheer thunderously. That year (2011), the duo helped Power to defend its trophy.
It was Jimmy’s first but Emma’s second. Ironically, they faced Ivan’s Warriors in the finals. The press hyped it as a battle of the Enabu brothers.
“It had never happened before for us to meet in such a high profile match. In fact, it was a whole series and it all felt crazy. Ivan and I were searching for our first championship while Emma was looking for his second and each of us was braced for it, like all our lives depended on it. It put us all in a tight corner. Just imagine plotting against your brother,” said Jimmy.
December 18, 2011 was D-Day. After six energy-sapping encounters of the best-of-seven finals series, the three brothers faced off in the winner-takes-it-all game at YMCA, Wandegeya. Power won 99-97 to stretch Ivan’s long wait for a championship.
“It is very painful. I can’t find the right words to tell you how I am feeling this night. Extremely painful,” he told this reporter, then. His sacrifice to play through groin and ankle injuries had produced no fruits. His eyes were teary and when his brothers came to hug him, he looked the odd man out.
“Last week, however, I reminded him of that night. In his trademark soft voice way, he said: “It was crazy but in the end I was happy for them. They had worked hard for it and hard work pays, that is a fact. It (losing to them) also gave me courage to work hard and I ended up landing my hands on the trophy in 2012.”
End of the pain
Arguably the best point guard of his generation, Ivan will never forget the 2012 season when his Warriors beat Falcons in the finals. Finally, after many years of trying, he was a champion.
“Yes, finally I have got it and now I also have a voice in the house,” he said, with a wide smile.
Ivan’s championship brought the Enabus’ total collection to five. However, some critics have argued that ever since he got what he wanted (the championship) his game has slowed down.
“They have every right to judge. Currently, career comes first and ‘ball comes second. So there’s no way one should expect me to keep playing like a teenager,” adds Ivan, who currently works as a Franchise Manager at Jibu Mineral Water.
Evelyn Enabu won the women’s league with UCU Lady Canons in 2008. Courtesy photo
At the start of the 2013 season, Jimmy ditched Power for newcomers City Oilers and led it to glory in its maiden year. In winning the trophy, Oilers had set a record of being the first team to win the league during its first year in the top flight. He then guided them to its defence in 2014 for his third medal and also got named the league MVP.
“The hunger to win still remains the same. When we won the first (with Oilers in 2013), I realised that if we put in lots of effort and keep working hard, the sky would be the limit for this team,” says Jimmy, the team captain. Oilers became the second team after Falcons (2002, 2003, 2004) to win the title three times in a row.
“Now I can look back and say ‘I am getting there’” Jimmy says, with a smile.
National team exploits
Every sportsman dreams of playing for their national teams. Ivan led the Silverbacks (men’s national team) to the 2005 Zone V Championships. But it is Jimmy who has played at the highest level, representing Uganda in the AfroBasket Championships in Tunisia in August 2015.
“It felt good and I learnt a lot. Playing at continental level was a dream come true. The intensity was overwhelming. Maybe I can get another chance and play at the same tournament again in future. I will also work for it,” he adds.

08 January 2016

NIGERIA - National U-17 Team Berth Mark D Ball Final in Style


Otukpo — The National U-17 Female Basketball team last night set up a final showdown for the Mark D Ball Tournament female crown with Sweeties of Makurdi. The team, inspired by the rebounding prowess of Ada Paul, shell-shocked Future Drive of Abuja by 44-17 in the highly entertaining second semi final contest.
Though coach Adeeka Odaudu's team is in Otukpo for some assessment before the FIBA U-17 Female World Championship in Spain in June next year, their confidence will soar if they outshoot the Sweeties in today's final. The contest had barely gathered steam when Seye Anitorufa hit the glass for two for the U-17, who then went on a run of 17-0 in the first quarter, before Future Drive made their first points off a steal by Mini Odogwu with 4. 40 seconds left on the clock. Though Joyce Ogedengbe laid up at the end of the first qurter, it was national teens that went into the break with a 23-4 lead. Rita James Happy, who led the Africa U-16 Women Championship in 3-point throws, the athletic Ada Paul, Jennifer Eze and Ene Adams, ran the court in the next three quarters to put their side into the final.
Earlier, it was Sweeties that broke the hearts of Patriots of Bayelsa in the first semi final, winning Game 25 with a five point difference at 40- 36.The girls from Bayelsa led through the third quarter, until the Makurdi outfits made a late rally to coast to victory in the fourth quarter. The game became physical towards the end as Bayelsa Patriots' Bethel Ekperigha, was fouled out after amassing five bookings. They relied heavily on Queen Ulabo and Faith Dibiya to close out the game, but Sandra Fakaa and Jane Ajokwu always forced them to be on the back foot. Bayelsa never recovered after Cynthia Famakinwa made two free throws with 1. 30 seconds left to give Sweeties a hard earned victory.

GAMBIA . Another Setback for Host Region as Tamba Counda Basketball Team Thrashes Basse


As the hit of the Safra game intensifies in different sporting activities marking this year's Safra edition, the Gambia male basketball team, which started their 2015 Safra games woefully on Saturday, already have conceded two consecutive defeats within 24 hours.
In day two of the basketball championship match played at the Community Youth Centre in Basse, the Basse Basketball Team slumbered as Tamba Counda team came from behind to win 57-47 at full time.
The host region started brightly, as they rolled and controlled the ball to their satisfaction, which gave them the upper-hand in the entire first half, while Malick Ndimballan was the icon for the team as he scored most of the baskets for his team.
Ndimballan was able to impress the audience throughout the game so much that if two of his type were available at Coach Ebrima Dibba's disposal, his Basse team would have carried the day. But the match ended 25-25 in the first half.
It turned a dramatic performance full of excitement as the two teams resumed the second half of the game from a complete rest that geared them up.
As the game continued to prevail, Tamba Counda coach Lamin Ndoye could not conceal the pressure that Basse piled on his team.
However, he came in as a second-half substitute and turned the game around to his own show.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the game, Ndoye said he came into the game to motivate his team and lead them to success.
Coach Ndoye further added that the win doesn't matter much; what matter most is the unity among the Safra nations.
His counterpart Ebrima Dibba, the over shocked gaffer for Basse basketball team, was disappointed by the two consecutive losses within 24 hours, Ndoye explained.
He believes he has an injury doubt as most of his players used the 'back way' route to Europe via Tripoli-Italy.
He lamented that his present players are too young and lacked much experience. With hope, he said, at the end of the tournament they might have got more experience to do more in the Safra 2016 edition.
Meanwhile, Basse male basketball team was pounded 63-29 by Gabou; Guinea-Bissau at the games late opener was played on Saturday while Boke of Guinea Conakry succumbed 70-23 to Tamba Counda of Senegal in the second fixture respectively.
On the other hand, Gabou girls lost 14-39 to Tamba Counda female in the early morning breakfast show.

TANZANIA - Dar to Host Zone Five Basketball


Dar es Salaam — Eleven countries have confirmed their participation in the Zone Five basketball championship to be held in the country in August, next year.
The Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) secretary general, Saleh Zonga, named the countries as Egypt, Kenya, Somalia , Eritrea, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and hosts Tanzania.
Zonga said each country would field men's and women's outfits. He said Tanzania would have four teams by virtue of being the hosts.
Three venues- the National Indoor Stadium, Don Bosco Centre and new Jakaya Kikwete Youth Park- will host the tournament, according to Zonga.
"The TBF executive committee will meet on Thursday (tomorrow) to discuss various issues pertaining to championship which has been sanctioned by International Basketball Federation (Fiba)," said Zonga.
He said preparations for the tournament were on course and appealed to institutions for financial support, saying they need sponsorship to make the event a success.

KENYA - KBF discontinues Conference format


  • Changes have been made to the 2016 KBF format where the Conference format has been discontinued after one season.
The Kenya Basketball Federation has discontinued the Conference format after only one season.
This is one of the changes which will be made to the KBF league this yeat.  During a recent team managers meeting at the Nyayo National Stadium. During the meetinge, a presentation from a professional sports marketing company Arrix Media observed the previous seasons had too many teams.
As a result, it was difficult to manage the league which was also too long and as a result the quality compromised. The meeting adopted recommendations by Arrix Media to have the men's Premier League limited to 12 teams and the women's Premier League 10.
Also, a new tier will be created for both men and women's leagues to absorb teams which were relegated.
Women's division one will have 10 teams; three relegated from the Premier League and seven promoted from Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA).
Men's division one will have 12 teams; six relegated from the Premier League and six remaining in the lower division. Teams relegated from division one will form division two that has 12 teams.
Under the new changes, there will be three competitions running throughout the year. Summer League will be held between January and March comprising of eight teams with one coming from NBA.
There will be a draft process for selecting participating players. The National League will then run from April to October with Kenya Cup being held between November and December.
There will be three tiers for the Kenya Cup knock-out tournament; Premier League, Nationwide League and Division One.
A lot will be at stake because the overall winner will qualify for Fiba Zone 5 championship as the second team to represent Kenya.
There is also a huge reprieve for teams that opt to sign many foreigners after team managers set aside the clause limiting number of foreign players eligible to play in the local league.
The meeting also agreed to re-introduce the clause allowing players’ special transfer on grounds of employment and scholarship while issues concerning international transfers shall be guided by Fiba rules.
2016 KBF League Teams
Men's Premier League: Ulinzi Warriors, USIU-A, KPA, Thunder, Co-op Bank, Blades, Nakuru Club, Equity Bank, Strathmore University, Lions, KCA-U, Upper Hill School.
Women's Premier League: KPA, USIU-A, Equity Bank, Co-op Bank, Strathmore University, Masaku Sparks, Ulinzi Blades, Storms, Western Delight, Eagle Wings.
Men' Division One: Umoja, KU Pirates, Zetech University, Terror, KAA, Nairobi Aviation College, Trailblazers, Barclays Bank, JKUAT, ANU, Eldonets, 4-Christ.
Women's Division One:  KCA-U, Kisumu Lady Bucks, KU Oryx, Zetech University, Gladiators, Kaya Tiwi High School, Strathmore University, Daystar University, Egerton University, Eldonets.
Men's Division Two: Baraka Xtreme, MKU Thika, World Hope, Lakeside, Blazers, EMYBA, Don Bosco, Little Prince, Zetech University, Egerton University, USIU-A, Riara University.

RWANDA - IPRC-Kigali determined to halt Patriots' unbeaten run

photo
The U-18 national team coach Moize Mutokambali speaks to his players during a training session earlier this week at Amahoro indoor stadium. (Courtesy)
IPRC-Kigali are optimistic on halting Patriots’ perfect start of the season when the two sides square-offon Fridayevening as the national basketball championship returns from a three-week festive break.
Table leaders Patriots who are yet to lose a game out of three played this season, host IPRC-Kigali at Amahoro indoor stadium, at8pm. This game will be preceded by the game pitying defending champions Espoir against United Generation Basketball Club, at6pm.
Albert Buhake’s IPRC- Kigali will also be eyeing to recover from 98-65 defeat to Maxime Mwiseneza’s Espoir three weeks ago.
“Our target is to win as many games as we can. All our attention is on Patriots game. Consistency is very important; we want to bounce back from the Espoir defeat,” Buhake told Times Sport on Thursday.
On Saturday, Rusizi play Owour’s APR at Amahoro indoor stadium while struggling Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) host title hopefuls IPRC-South.
In the women’s league, reigning champions APR will play the 2014 champions Ubumwe with Eric Dusabimana’s The Hoops Rwanda facing Huye-based IPRC-South, both games at Amahoro indoor stadium.
U18 National Team joins the league
Meanwhile, the Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) has added the national men’s junior (U18) team to the ongoing league as a way of preparing the team for this year’s continental championship to be staged in Rwanda.
The youthful team will be coached by the national basketball team head coach Moise Mutokambali and will open the league against Charles Mushumba’s UR-CASS on Saturday afternoon.

06 January 2016

UGANDA - 2015: Silverbacks, Gazelles competed at AfroBasket

Silverbacks power forward Stanley Ocitti attempts a jumper
Silverbacks power forward Stanley Ocitti attempts a jumper against Central African Republic at the AfroBasketball Championships held in Tunisia last year. Ocitti was impressive. Courtesy photo 
Long term, the biggest positive for basketball in the country, all factors constant, should be the start of the Fuba-NBA Junior League whose inaugural season tipped off at the end of May.
The tournament whose initial project is expected to last four years is aimed at player development and consists of players aged 12-15.
A total of 30 schools across Kampala and Wakiso took part with Mashariki High Pelicans winning the first edition, defeating KISU Bucks 66-51 in the final graced by Miami small forward two time NBA All-Star Luol Deng.
Many will hope for the emergence of more players like Mashariki guard Fayed Baale who emerged MVP.
Long term, the biggest positive for basketball in the country, all factors constant, should be the start of the Fuba-NBA Junior League whose inaugural season tipped off at the end of May.
The tournament whose initial project is expected to last four years is aimed at player development and consists of players aged 12-15.
A total of 30 schools across Kampala and Wakiso took part with Mashariki High Pelicans winning the first edition, defeating KISU Bucks 66-51 in the final graced by Miami small forward two time NBA All-Star Luol Deng.
Many will hope for the emergence of more players like Mashariki guard Fayed Baale who emerged MVP.n the low side, the fraternity has lost three players. First UPDF Tomahawks’ Michael Samora died following a road accident while KCCA Leopards’ Mariah Nakayima’s sudden death shocked many.
Last week Robert Wanitho a member of the 2010 and 2011 Tiger Head Power winning teams succumbed to intestinal cancer at Mulago Hospital after a two year battle with the disease.
The league was meanwhile, again marred by threats by game match officials to abscond from duty over unpaid regular season allowances with clubs also yet to receive their share of money from the regular season sponsors.
An historic year for the game
Silverbacks finished 15th at AfroBasket Championships
Gazelles finished with a 2-5 record at the women edition with peace Proscovia picking a tournament high 12.7 rebounds
Four year Fuba-NBA Junior league launched
KCCA leopards returned to African championship since 2008
City Oilers claimed third straight league title
UCU lady Canons reclaimed women league title from KCCA Leopards
essenono@ug.nationmedia.com

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