Basketball01 July 2026 - 15:30

Kanji confident Kenya can compete with world's best at the next month's Commonwealth Games

The national side has been in a two-week residential training camp at the Kasarani Indoor Stadium, fine-tuning tactics and conditioning ahead of the Games,

by CHARLENE MALWA

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Ian Kanji believes Kenya has what it takes to compete with the world’s best as the national wheelchair basketball team intensifies preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, set to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.

The national side has been in a two-week residential training camp at the Kasarani Indoor Stadium, fine-tuning tactics and conditioning ahead of the Games, where wheelchair basketball will once again feature in the fast-paced 3x3 format introduced at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The Glasgow edition will feature 10 sports, with 3x3 wheelchair basketball among six fully integrated para-sports on the programme. Kanji, who hails from Githurai 44 in Nairobi and has been playing the sport since 2021, said the players understand the magnitude of the challenge awaiting them in Scotland but remain confident of delivering strong performances.

“We have stepped up our preparations and have been in camp for about two weeks now,” said Kanji. “We are pushing ourselves harder because we know we will be facing some of the best and most experienced teams in the world.”

The 3x3 version of wheelchair basketball is played on a half-court with teams of four players — three on court and one substitute — making speed, ball movement and quick decision-making critical components of success.

Countries such as England, Australia, Canada and South Africa are among the established powerhouses expected to headline the competition in Glasgow. Kanji’s rise through the ranks has been steady since earning his first international call-up to represent Kenya at an Under-23 tournament in South Africa, an experience he credits with shaping his career.

“My international exposure began early when I represented Kenya in an Under-23 tournament in South Africa. Since then, I have risen through the ranks from junior competitions to qualifiers for major continental events,” he said.

Kenya has continued to make gradual progress in wheelchair basketball on the continent, with the men’s side finishing third behind South Africa and Nigeria at the recent African zonal qualifiers, underlining the strides the country has made in the sport despite limited international exposure. Kanji also lauded the support the team has received in camp, saying it has enabled the players to focus fully on preparations.

“We are getting everything we need in camp, and we have high expectations, as we usually do as Kenyans. We know what is required of us,” he said. Beyond chasing positive results in Glasgow, Kanji hopes the Games will serve as a springboard for his career. “I just hope the international exposure will open more professional doors because you never know who is watching,” he added.

Kenya will continue sharpening its preparations at Kasarani before departing for Scotland, where the team will seek to test itself against the Commonwealth’s elite while aiming to elevate the country’s growing reputation in wheelchair basketball.