The newly formed National University Basketball League scheduled to start on February 1 to March 7 has attracted 10 teams.
The tournament seeks to elevate the level of competition at the university level and its a partnership with Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA).
The event is a pilot scheme for a league which will have university scholars compete for athletic scholarships.
The tournament will be played at Nyayo Stadium and the participating teams will receive kit, technical assistance and a trophy for the winners. The event’s coordinator, James Mavisi, said he was inspired to start the league because of the poor standards of basketball in the country.
“We want to nurture kids who play basketball and involve professional coaches, fitness coaches and even nutritionists so as to elevate the level of college basketball in Kenya. The aim is to produce professionals who can compete internationally and eventually benefit from basketball scholarships,” he said.
Universities featuring in the tournament were selected based on their historical performances in basketball and their sports development agenda.
They are University of Nairobi, Riara University, Technical University of Kenya, Multimedia University of Kenya, Zetech University, and Catholic University of Eastern Africa. Others are_Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Strathmore University and African Nazarene University.
Having played in the Premier league with Strathmore University and varsity basketball at London Imperial College, it is no wonder that Mavisi is the architect behind the idea.
He runs a sports development and management company under the name Robert Tumelo Group, whose aim is to build sports professionalism in Kenya.
The tournament will evolve to a league in September and it will have two divisions which will include the current participating teams together with universities from outside Nairobi. A ladies league will be featured as well.
