Self-supporting Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) are keen to finish third in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championships that tipped off in Kigali, Rwanda on Tuesday.
Coach Anthony Ojukwu yesterday said the team is going to the tournament as bonafide winners of Madagascar leg. He said this is the only chance left for them to feature in continental show next year after losing the league title.
The porters, who left Nairobi by road to Kigali on Tuesday, have sacrificed their own resources to pay for their transport and accommodation in order to be part of the inaugural show. The event runs through to December 22 at the newly-built 10,000-seater Kigali Arena.
Ojukwu said:“This is an opportunity we can’t miss. It is a good platform for the players to go showcase their talent and skills, and to get the necessary experience. No team should underrate us as we are going to compete and not to participate.”
The long-serving tactician noted that this is a once in a lifetime tournament and they want to be part of it. He said they notified organisers of the late arrival and asked for their match to be pushed forward.
KPA are in East Division of the ‘Elite 16’. The top three teams will join nine teams that have already qualified for the main event slated for March and organisers will foot their bills from that stage.
The participating teams are— Patriots (Rwanda), Gendarmerie Nationale Basketball Club (Madagascar), Ferroviario de Maputo (Mozambique), Cobra Sport (South Sudan), University of Zambia Pacers (Zambia), JKT (Tanzania) and City Oilers (Uganda).
A confident Ojukwu said he has maintained the team that topped during the last month’s qualifiers in Madagascar, adding only shooting guard Faizal Aden to the team.
The squad consists of— Mike Bwanga, Keegan Oyugi, Faizal Aden, Dickson Aran, Victor Odendo, Valentine Nyankinda, Ariel Okal, Byron Job, Martin Kitongo, Paul Ekiru, Ken Wachira and Evans Letting.
