National champions Kenya Ports Authority depart today for the FIBA Africa Zone Five Women’s Club Championship in Kigali, Rwanda.
Long-serving KPA coach Anthony Ojukwu said the team finalized their training in Mombasa and are all set for the October 28 to November 4 extravaganza.
“The team is leaving for Kigali Rwanda via Nairobi tomorrow morning with the 8 o’clock SGR Inter county,” said Ojukwu. He went on: “We will spend one night in Nairobi and leave Wednesday morning to Rwanda by road.”
He said everybody is in good shape with no injuries reported at the moment. “I am optimistic the team will give a good account of themselves and as a coach, I am confident we will perform.”
He said he expects tough competition from other teams including the host side, Uganda and Egypt.
Medina Okot, the national team centre, who moved to Zetech University Sparks, has made the final team and is expected to play a key role.
Players from other clubs are allowed to serve rival clubs in regional and continental matches and Okot will do that for KPA before switching to her Zetech side for the local league matches.
Other key members of the team are Kenya Lionesses Victoria Reynolds, who plies her trade in Spain and captain Natalie Akinyi as well as Hilda Indasi. Morgan Green from the USA and Malian Amina Sekkeseu are the two foreign players the dockets coach Ojukwu will rely on to reclaim regional glory
KPA lost last year’s final after going down 78-68 to Alexandria Sports Club of Egypt in the Tanzanian city of Dar-es-salaam. The winners went on to win the Africa Championship.
The other Kenyan team headed for the Kigali festival are the former league champions Equity Bank Hawks, who replaced league runner-up Sparks.
Traveling squad: Natalie Akinyi, Amina Sekkeseu, Hilda Indasi, Seline Okumu, Becky Nkatha, Linda Alando, Yvonne Atieno, Victoria Reynolds, Medina Okot, Rita Anyango, Morgan Green and Velma Achieng; Officials: A.Ojukwu (coach0, Brenda Angeshi (assistant coach) and Faridah Achieng (medical personnel).
