Nairobi to Host Two Major Africa Basketball League Tournaments

Nairobi is set to host two major continental basketball events this November , the Women’s Basketball League Africa Group D Zone 5 Qualifiers and the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 tournament. The Women’s Basketball League Africa qualifiers, scheduled from November 9 to 15 at Nyayo Gymnasium, will feature eight teams. Kenya will be represented by reigning national champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Zetech University. Other participants include Gladiators from Uganda, two teams from Tanzania, two from Rwanda, and Ethiopia, making its first appearance. The top two teams from the tournament will progress to the final round in Cairo, Egypt, in December. The Road to BAL Elite 16 tournament will take place from November 18 to 23 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium. Nairobi City Thunder, the first Kenyan team to qualify for BAL last year, will look to make the premier continental competition for the second time in a row. The Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) states that hosting these competitions reflects FIBA Africa’s growing confidence in Kenya as an emerging hub for basketball. KBF Secretary General Angela Luchivya expressed in an interview, excitement about the events, saying, “As Kenya Basketball Federation, we are very excited to have these two championships being hosted in Kenya because this just affirms the fact that FIBA Africa has confidence in Kenya as a host as well as a growing basketball hub.” Luchivya also called on corporate partners to support basketball in the country, saying, “Basketball in Kenya is growing rapidly, and this is the perfect time for sponsors to come on board and help us elevate the game.” Revealing the financial situation ahead of the tournaments, Luchivya noted, “Our total budget stands at Ksh 70m, and so far, we have raised Ksh. 29 million. This leaves us with a deficit of 41 million shillings. We need 21 million for the Road to BAL Championship and 15 million for the Women’s Championship.” She added that a large part of the budget will go toward venue costs. “The hiring costs for venues have increased significantly after Sports Kenya doubled rates at Kasarani from Ksh 100,000 to Ksh 250,000 shillings per day.” “Kenya has gained valuable experience after hosting international games last year. We are now better placed to organize future events and to continue developing our basketball infrastructure.” “This is the right time for Kenya to start thinking about constructing another indoor arena similar to those in Kigali or Dakar to accommodate high-caliber international tournaments.”