Kenya Wheelchair Basketball team has kicked off training ahead of Africa Para Games set for September in Accra, Ghana.
According to head coach Maurice Ouma, a team of 30 players— both men and women— are currently training at the Nyayo Stadium in readiness for the games planned for September 3- 12.
“We have about 30 players who have hit the training. This is good because we want to win medals in Ghana,” said Ouma, who is a former Eldonets basketball team coach.
Kenya Wheelchair Basketball Federation (KWBF) president Alfred Simiyu Barasa said they are optimistic that the selected youthful players will earn medals for the country at the Para Africa Games.
“The wheelchair basketball team has been very active in participating internationally, and being the powerhouse in the East and Central region, I want to believe we will post good results in Accra.
" We do have young players who are doing great and are very enthusiastic about the sport. Despite strong opposition, I know we will rise to the occasion,” said Barasa.
Barasa, who also serves as the vice president of the East and Central Africa region, said the federation has had many tournaments since he took over as the president. " We even qualified for Commonwealth Games last year in Birmingham.
“The fact that we competed at the Commonwealth Games last year and we will now feature in the Africa Games is quite an achievement.
"In Accra, we have to try our best because the top three teams will qualify for the Paralympic Games next year in Paris, France. So we have to prepare adequately,” he said.
For the team to perform well, Barasa said they have to start early preparations. "That is exactly what we are doing because both the women's and men's teams are back in training two weeks after the qualifiers in Tanzania," he said.
“For us to perform well, we need two months of serious training. I believe with sufficient support from the government, the team will do well," he noted.
