Basketball teams for Birmingham ready for camp

Kenya Morans in action against Senegal during the FIBA Africa World Cup qualifiers in Dakar in Senegal.[Courtesy-FIBA]

Kenya Basketball 3×3 team has made its preliminary squad ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom in July. 

The ladies squad which will be making its first debut in the history of Kenyan Basketball comprises of 17 players was selected during the trials last weekend.

Among those selected include the Kenya Lionesses skipper Melissa Akinyi.

 Akinyi, who plays for Equity Hawks captained the national team for the first time during the Africa Zone Five Championship in Kigali, Rwanda last year, where they qualified for the FIBA Africa Championship.

Other notable names in the squad are Equity Hawks player Hilda Ndegwa, KPA’s Hilda Indasi who also turns for the national team and Natalie Akinyi, Storms shooting guard and also Lionesses star Jemimah Omondi.

Victoria Reynolds who starred for the Kenyan team last year during the Africa Zone Five Championships also made it to the top 17 list. 

Included in the team are Mercy Mumo, Debra Obungo, Stella Wekesa, Christine Omondi, Joy Mupalia, Leah Wambasi, Winnie Chebet, Nicole Otieno, Lavenda Opondo, Medina Okot and Babra Diana.

Kenya's side got a direct qualification for the Summer Games being ranked in position two behind Egypt who leads the log in Africa.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Basketball Federation selected 16 players for the men’s teams which will be headed by Larry Shavanga with Hilmi Ali Juma as team manager.

The majority of the players are U23 and were selected during the recently held trials in Mombasa, Eldoret, Kajiado, Eldoret, Kakamega, Kisumu and three trials in Nairobi.

The Team will also be heading out to Africa World Cup Qualifiers in December in Morocco. The Winners of the African Qualifiers will head to 3×3 Basketball World Cup in 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium.

Men’s team

William Spencer, Davies Siaji, Philip Tobias, Brian Letina, Jordan Otieno, Larry Aligula, Domnic Adero, Faheem Nganga, George Darril, Martin Buluma, Timothy Ayieko, Brian Gichana, Fredrick Odhiambo, Niva Morgan, David John, Gabriel Onyango.

Women’s team

Mercy Mumo, Debra Obungo, Melissa Akinyi, Stella Wekesa, Jemima Omondi, Hilda Ndegwa, Christine Omondi, Joy Mupalia, Leah Wambasi, Winnie Chebet, Nicole Otieno, Lavenda Opondo, Hilda Indasi, Natalia Akinyi, Medina Okot, Victoria Reynolds, Babra Diana.?