Kenya Basketball Page
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Basketball In Kenya Basketball has become Kenya’s fastest growing sport, thanks largely to the televisation of the National Basketball Association (NBA) games in Kenya. The Kenya National League is contested by teams from all over the country. Among the top teams include Co-operative bank, Ulinzi and Telecoms. USIU and KPA in a national league match The period of the early 1990s can be considered the golden era of Kenyan basketball. In 1994, The Kenya women's team shocked highly rated Zaire in the Semi-final of the Africa Cup and made it to the finals where they faced hosts senegal, thus qualifying for the women’s world championship. That remains Kenya’s best ever performance.In 1992 KPA hosted the match vaunted continental giants, Zamalek of Egypt and won the match 90-87. Lawi Odera was in sensational form scoring 30 points. In 1994 Kenya hosted the Africa basketball championships. The managed to make it to the semi finals including a 30 point win over Algeria punctuated by a monster dunk from Ben Wanjara. Many Kenyans thought that Kenya was on its way to taking a place among Africa's basketball elite. However they were sadly mistaken as the KBF did not maintain that momentum. It was during that period that American college coaches begun to take notice of the talent available in Kenya. Ben Wanjara managed to secure a scholarship to George Mason University. He wowed George Mason fans with his all round effort and athletic ability. Peter Kiganya was recruited by Abilene Christian University where he became a two time All American and Co_MVP of the Lone star conference. Kiganya is the only Kenya who has succeded in pursuing a long term career in professional career that has taken him to Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Rwanda, Egypt, and Argentina
Kiganya in action in the Argentinean league More recently there has been a trend whereby youngstars playing high school basketball (both boys and girls) have been recruited by American colleges. Among those are Collins Onyando, a product of Maseno high school who was voted the Trans-South conference freshman of the year in 2005. Whereas it encouraging to note that the standards of high school basketball have risen to this point, its is discouraging to note that once such players leave the country, they are in all likelihood lost to Kenya basketball. This is in large part due to the ineptitude of the Kenya basketball federation. Kenya’s basketball scene is however plagued by problems such as lack of finance and lack of adequate organization. We have yet to see the Kenya basketball federation come up with any initiatives that would raise the popularity of the league. Both national teams have not participated in any continental competition in ages. About the only thing the KBF seems to be interested in doing is to keep the league going. |
