Basketball: The 38-year-old former point guard to launch Beyond Hoops Africa initiative at Umoja

Former Java Warriors point guard and captain James Karanja in one of the Beyond Hoops basketball clinics in Vancouver, Canada. [Photo/Courtesy]

Former Java Warriors star gives hope to future stars

Honoured by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013, Kamau returns home to punch life into young Kenyans.

Former Java Warriors captain, James Kamau plans to give back to the society by launching basketball clinics.

Kamau, who is based in Canada, will launch a high profile basketball initiative, Beyond Hoops Africa, on July 14  at Umoja.

The unveiling will be graced by famed American basketball coach, Travis Coleman, who was the manager of China women’s national basketball team at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

“Beyond Hoops Africa is a basketball and life-skills program that targets youths in various African communities. It rides on the ability for the sport to educate, empower and inspire people from all walks of life,” said the 38-year-old former point guard. 

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“It will draw-on, develop and showcase strengths and abilities of young people and shine light on what they can do, rather than what they cannot do."

“This approach is strength-based and promotes hope and a positive outlook for the youth and their communities,” added Kamau, who conducted a basketball clinic at Umoja, in Nairobi, last weekend.

The Beyond Hoops Africa initiative will be spread to different parts of the country, with Coleman offering basketball and life skills to youths in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru in the two-week tour.

Kamau said this is one way of giving back to the community after gaining vast skills and experience from his base in Vancouver, Canada, where he has supported the sport since 2006.

His extensive elevation of basketball has seen him honoured with various global awards, among them the coveted Diamond Jubilee Medal For Community Service Award, from Queen Elizabeth II in 2013.

The father of three also received the 2011 Me To We Award presented by the Canadian Living Magazine and the Free the Children award that came with a Sh400, 000 prize money.

“I invested the funds in Kenya. I imported a multi-purpose 40ft container and set it up at the Dagoreti Corner in Nairobi,” said Kamau.

“The container now acts as a welfare center where the youths meet to engage in various social activities ranging from sports, performing arts and tuition."

As a player, Kamau won the Kenya University Sports Association League twice (2002 and 2003) with the Kenya Christian Industrial Training Institute.

He guided the now defunct Java Warriors to the Nairobi Basketball Association crown in 2003 after a three-year stint in the lower tier.

Java were then promoted to the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men’s Division One League, before breaking into the Premier League after victory in 2005.

Kamau then left for Canada where he set up the Youth Initiative Canada.