Kenya’s 3×3 basketball team is angling for a podium place as the game makes its debut at the second edition of the Africa Beach Games, which officially start on Saturday morning in the Tunisian town of Hammamet, 65km outside the capital, Tunis.
The team has been training at the Nyayo National Stadium and Umoja II Basketball Court in readiness for the games, and they are optimistic of performing well and battling for a podium finish.
The women’s team, coached by the experienced Everline Kedogo is comprised of the Zetech University duo of Medina Okot and Mary Lisa, as well as Equity Hawks’ Maryanne Nyagaki and Strathmore’s Margaret Nerea.
Okot is the most experienced in the squad, having been part of Kenya’s team that reached the quarter finals at the Commonwealth Games and also competed at the Under-23 World Championships last year.
“I am really excited to be part of this team. Our ambition is to go and represent the country well and finish in the medal brackets. We will do our best to win. I hope my experience especially on the post plays will help the team and we are really eager to do well,” noted Okot, who helped Zetech qualify for the final of the Kenya National Women’s Basketball League.
Coach Kedogo will be counting on Okot’s experience, and overall says she has picked a decent team that will be able to battle well.
The coach has gone for size, with Okot, Nyagaki and Nerea all providing the physique, while Lisa will bring in her speed and skill to complement the team.
“We want to be in a situation where we bully our opponents and that is why we have gone for good size. Training has been really good and we have seen a lot of improvement. The shots are now dropping and we are executing our plays better and understanding the game more,” said Kedogo.
She added; “We have tried to break down our opponents and also worked to improve what wasn’t working on our end. We will take each game at a time.”
“My expectation is nothing short of a win. We respect our opponents because all teams that have qualified know their stuff but we have come here to win as well.”
Lisa, meanwhile, will be playing her second 3×3 competition, having been part of the Kenyan team that played in the Global Tour in Egypt last December.
“I am really excited to be in the team. We have been training well and the coaches have really helped us to build chemistry. This time we are going in with more lessons. Now I know the rules better, the game situations and that is what has made it easier for us,” Lisa said.
The women have been drawn in Pool B together with hosts Tunisia, Algeria and Rwanda.
Meanwhile, the men’s team has been drawn with Uganda, Rwanda and Egypt in Pool A.
The men’s team is composed of David Gichohi, Dennis Koja, Brian Zruel and Timothy Ayieko.
“We have improved a lot over the last few weeks of training in chemistry and skill and now we have a better understanding of the game. We are very confident in what we have done and we want to go and try win the tournament,” Gichohi, 17, told Capital Sport.
He added; “It will be a tough tournament of course looking at our group, but we are all men on the floor. We will battle like men.”
