Despite the numerous interruptions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 will still go down in history as a good year for Kenyan basketball — especially on the international front.
Both the national men and women’s teams experienced a glorious season, effectively putting smiles on the faces of local basketball enthusiasts known to possess an insatiable hunger for success.
The Morans and Lionesses took part in the FIBA AfroBasket Championships, arguably the continent's biggest competition. Whereas the Morans were gracing the show for the first time since 1993, Lionesses made a second consecutive appearance.
LEAGUE
The league got off to a smooth start in March but was rudely interrupted in the damning wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases. Even though competition eventually resumed in June, the fixtures will spill over into the new year for lack of time.
Reigning champions Ulinzi Warriors and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), who are fiercely battling at the summit of the log, remain hot favourites to clinch the title. KPA and champions Equity Bank are fancied to run away with the women's title.
INTER-PROVINCIAL
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Inter-Provincial playoff tournament, was held in Eldoret with Nairobi-based teams dominating the proceedings. Zetech University Sparks won the women’s event, followed by Safe Spaces and Butere Girls who finished second and third respectively. All three sides secured promotion to the national Division One league.
In the men’s category, Moischer Nets from Malindi bagged the title to gain promotion alongside Dagoretti High, National Bank of Kenya (NBK), and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Jkuat).
While the KBF program will proceed into the new year, the Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA) managed to complete their fixtures, with Kuei Foundation and Dream Girls winning the men's and women's titles in that order.
BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE
National champions, Ulinzi Warriors, represented Kenya in the Basketball Africa league (BAL) with their first stop being the qualifiers that were held in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.
The soldiers got off to a torrid start, going down 80-74 to New Star of Burundi in their opener, but bounced back convincingly in their 52-47 win over Cobra Sport of South Sudan to progress to the next phase of the tournament.
The next trip took them to Johannesburg, South Africa where they played in the Elite 16. After crashing 77-67 to Cobra Sport in their opening tie, the soldiers never recovered in their subsequent fixtures. They eventually bowed out of contention following their 81-59 loss at the hands of Ferroviaro da Beira of Mozambique.
ZONE FIVE
Equity Bank and Kenya Ports Authority renewed their rivalry at the FIBA Africa Zone Five club championships in Dar-es-salaam where the porters prevailed over the bankers in the decider.
In the absence of Ugandan clubs led by defending champions JKT Dolphins, other teams that took part were Gladiator (Burundi), Don Bosco, Rwanda Energy Group (REG) as well as the Hoops.
QUALIFIERS
Kenya lost 69-51 to Senegal in their first game but stunned one of the most decorated teams in the continent Angola whom they pipped 74-73 to return to Africa’s most prestigious tournament.
After that feat, Kenya went down 74-44 to Mozambique but this was inconsequential as Tylor Ongwae has exorcised the ghost of 28 years with a last gasp shot. The two local rivals met in the deciding fixture with the porters humiliating the banker 71-35 to book a ticket to the Africa club championships.
MORANS
The Morans traveled to Kigali to settle scores with Rwanda for the first window of the AfroBasket Qualifiers where they posted an impressive 79-62 victory over Mozambique before crashing 92-54 to Senegal and 83-66 to Angola.
But in the second window in Yaounde, Cameroon, Kenya lost 69-51 to Senegal but wrote history by turning the tide against Africa's powerhouse Angola whom they edged 74-73 to return to the continent's most prestigious tournament.
The fall of the eleven-time champions was masterminded by coach Liz Mills and executed by the infallible Tylor Ongwae. After that historic feat, Kenya went down 74-44 to Mozambique although the outcome was inconsequential.
In the AfroBasket show that was again held in Kigali, Kenya got off to a slow start, falling 88-70 to Ivory Coast before going down 71-55 to Nigeria. They, however, beat Mali 72-66, a result that saw them make it to the Pre Quarters where they were, unfortunately, felled 60-58 by debutants South Sudan.
LIONESSES
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) appointed Kampala-based tactician, George Mayienga, to guide the national women's team at the FIBA Africa Zone Five qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.
Despite a poor start, Lionesses eventually managed to bask in success. After going down 77-45 to host Rwanda, and seeing Egypt come from behind to beat them 107-106, Kenya ultimately emerged from the ashes to turn around their fortunes.
In a make-or-break semi-final tie against Rwanda, Kenya proved their mettle in the competition by stunning the home team 79-52 before turning the heat on the Egyptians whom they beat 99-83 on their way to the winners' podium.
The win gave Kenya a direct ticket to the women's FIBA AfroBasket championship in Yaounde, Cameroon. They lost 74-50 to the host, pipped Cape Verde 61-58 before bowing out in the pre-quarters with a 72-50 to Mozambique.
