Five teams have confirmed participation in the Fiba Africa Zone Club women's championships in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania next month.
Vitalis Gode, the zonal secretary said Kenyan sides, Kenya Ports Authority and Equity Bank lead the list alongside Sporting from Egypt and a club from Rwanda.
“Five teams have so far confirmed their participation in the event. Teams from Kenya and Egypt are already known,” said Gode. “Rwanda will name their team after their finals. As for Burundi, I asked them to confirm entry in writing and I am waiting for their response.”
He said the six-day regional competition will throw off in the Tanzanian port city on September 26, with teams expected to arrive a day earlier.
The finalists will book their tickets to the tournament’s final tour slated for Maputo, Mozambique in December 9-18.
The two Kenyan giants battled it out in last year’s final of the zonal championships, played at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam where KPA won 71-35.
Both teams qualified for the aborted continental championships in Egypt. Don Bosco of Tanzania, Gladiator (Burundi), Hoops and Rwandese side Rwanda Energy Group (REG) were the other teams that took part.
Like in 2021, the porters and the bankers qualified for this year’s event by virtue of being the Premier League winners and runners up respectively.
The porters’ coach Anthony Ojukwu said he will start preparing the team for the tournament once they get approval from their sponsors.
KPA are currently leading the Premier League table with 14 points from seven games, while Equity Bank are third on 10 points from six matches.
In another development, Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) secretary Ambrose Kisoi confirmed the postponement of the U-16 championships in the same venue.
Kenya will send two teams to the event whose dates now will be released later.
Meanwhile, Egypt beat host Madagascar 81-54 in the FIBA Africa U18 boys finals that ended in Madagascar on Sunday.
Mali defeated Angola 79-54 to bag the bronze medal.
