The Kenya U-18 Boys and Girls Basketball teams will be seeking to win their semifinal matches when they face Rwanda in the in-progress FIBA Africa Zone 5 U-18 basketball championship in Kampala, Uganda.
A total of eight nations, four in each category are taking part in the Zone five championship where the winner in each gender will qualify for the continental, Africa U18 FIBA Basketball Championship scheduled August in South Africa.
The Zone 5 championship has attracted hosts Uganda,Kenya,Rwanda and Tanzania in both categories.
The Kenya Under 18 girls team began their campaign by beating Tanzania 57-47 with Roselyne Akinyi leading the stellar performance.The girls team would later go down fighting losing 97-47 to Uganda.
The girls team wound up their round robbin campaign against Rwanda falling 56-47 and will be seeking to avenge the loss when the two sides clash again tomorrow.
The girls team under the tutelage of Rose Mshilla is being led by the quartet of Alicia Mito, Yvonne Otieno, Melvin Arupe and Grace Wacera who are all from reigning Kenya Secondary School Games ,KSSSA, national champions Butere Girls.
Meanwhile the Kenya Under 18 boys team will face Rwanda in the semi final with head coach Martin Okwako out to outwit his opponents.
Okwako will depend on some of his star players in the team who include Agoro Sare High School duo Patrick Ndungu and Clinton Wambugu who guided the school to the silver medal during the national school championship in April.
During the group matches Kenyan boys won 95-81 against Tanzania bouncing back from the opening 81-52 defeat against Rwanda. Kenya also suffered a 86-58 loss to Uganda.
Kenya is making a comeback to the youth championship after sitting out most of the previous editions.
FIBA AFRICA U-18 ZONE V SEMI FINALS
Thursday, 13/06/2024
Boys
Kenya Vs Rwanda
Tanzania Vs Uganda
Girls
Kenya Vs Rwanda
Uganda Vs Tanzania
