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| FIBA Ranking | Kenya Women's Basketball Ranked 58th in The World
Kenya’s Women’s Basketball has been ranked 58th in the World with 4.2 points. This puts them at 13th position in Africa behind Nigeria (20), Senegal (22), Mali (23), Tunisia (29), Mozambique (35), DRC (38), Angola (39), Cote D’Ivoire (50), Cameroon (54), and Algeria and Cape Verde tied at position 56 in the world. However, the 4.2 points is nothing compared to top three ranked teams; USA with 1140.0 points, Russia with 923.0, and Australia with 899.0 points. The current downward trend in the game of basketball in the country has not spared women's basketball in Kenya, which has always struggled against a more established men's basketball regime. Women's basketball in the country had come off age, with both the National Team and Clubs being a force to reckon with in the East African region and Africa. But the big Question is WHAT WENT WRONG???? In
1994, the Kenya national women's side was the only African team
that participated in the World Championships in Australia. Flashback: September 2007, Kenya was in Dakar, Senegal for the Africa Feminine Championships. Here, where the team had won silver medal enroute the Australia festival, things became different. Kenya was bottom in this 12 team competition, after losing all their matches. Remember in their last African championships hosted at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani, in 1997, Kenya battled hard and finished in the fourth position. Earlier in February 2007. The event is the zone 5 All Africa Games qualifiers and the venue is the Amahoro Petit Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda. The team took on and humiliated Rwanda (96-40 and 95-38) in two games with a stern show that left the hosts dazed and earned them admiration from the packets fans. Exactly two years later, Rwanda again hosted the Africa Nations Cup (ANC) Zone Five qualifiers and the venue is the same but the results were shockingly different. Rwanda beat Kenya 61-52 and 69-65 surprisingly bagging the only ticket available for the continental festival that is slated for Antananarivo, Madagascar in September. The team also lost 53-57 to Uganda. So what could have happened in two years that Kenya collapsed so dramatically while Rwanda pushes for recognition as a dominant force in the region and Uganda hangs close? But by virtue of being second, Kenya harbor strong hopes of a Fiba Africa wild card. Already South Africa beat Zimbabwe in Zone Six to joined Rwanda and top four finishers from the Dakar show. Should the team get a wild card and parade together with the other 12 nations in the Indian Ocean island, then there is need for Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) to do things differently this time round if they are to post better results. Bring on some overseas based players and they are many out there. Assemble the team early for training. Then only shall the team do well and shake the like of African champions Mali, Senegal, Nigeria and Angola. A proof that Kenyan can no longer boast to be the regional queens was clear during another back to back regional tournament within one month of each other. And the task is for KBF to do something about the state of the game in the country before it can slid down any further. In Kigali, losing to Rwanda and Egypt (men) was annoying but not least surprising, but going down to Rwanda and Uganda (women) was unacceptable. Upon return players complained about almost everything, with their concern fingers pointing at too many coaches who were not working together as a unit while directing plays from the team bench. The same happened with the Nairobi women's team to the East and Central Africa Inter Cities championships in Arusha, Tanzania and bottom line is.....women basketball must rise up soon or perish. There is absolutely not much one can be proud of, and the challenge is to the coaches who handle the players countrywide. They must rise up above petty politics and start molding players for the future. The Nairobi team had Caroline Achieng (Kigali captain), Hilda Indasi, Anastasia Njeri, Emma Nyakweba and Eleanor Musundi. The same players were also in the Kigali team. Another eight joined them- Bridgit Nanzala, Rebecca Sarange, Eunice Ouma, Faith Owich, Mildred Achieng, Irene Makori and Angela Luchivya (national team and Arusha captain). Nairobi rode to a 30-7 first quarter lead but inexplicably crushed 64-65 to Dar in game one of the three team series- The other was Arusha). They managed only one foul shot late in the pivotal third quarter! Under a scorching sun, Luchivya efforts bore little fruits, Indasi so hot in the first quarter, could not find the angle there after while Achieng complained aloud of not being given the ball. In the finals, Coach Ben Oluoch had no option but to change the tactics- and it did the trick. Luchivya was the usual driving force from the back court; Achieng saw a lot of the balls (12 points, 12 rebs, and six assists) and many minutes on the courts. The enterprising Faith Owich was a surprise package, picked only as the 12th player; she battled her way to the starting five in the finals won 53-27 by Nairobi. Hopefully she can only get better from there. Kenya can soundly beat anyone in the region but where is the consistency? And where is the leadership on the court? What happens when Achieng finally retires from international events? Is there any player out there now who will step onto the podium and play the five man so tirelessly as Achieng? And what about the tigerish Luchivya, who does not have many years, left either? The one man and the five man roles the duo have anchored over the years for Kenya will soon be up for grabs. Who will step up at the national level? These are questions that beg answers. Of course there are many players. Look at Nanzala, Emma, Musundi and Yvonne Akinyi, Beryl Amayo? Don't they have the height but can they be as dominant as "Majeng”? As Kenya hope and pray for a wild card to Antananarivo, can the team do better than they are already doing and improve on their last placing in Dakar in 2007? Let all coaches who handle women teams in the league develop dependable players four future national team assignments. This is the challenge I can throw out to them now. Where will we get another Queen Olumbo, Susan Kariuki, Caroline Omamo, Nasilla Achieng, Catherine Shave, and Susan Agoya etc. It was no fluke that Kenya took on the best in the Australia Adelaide World Championships. It was here that Tom Munyama's girls made so much noise that the door to the USA was flung open....and stayed open for years, with new generation credible players like the newly drafted player to the WNBA Washington Mystics team....Josephine Achieng Owino, or former KPA players Rose Ouma (Wayland Baptist University-Texas, USA) & Gladys Wanyama (Lewis & Clark Community College-USA) or Judith "Lulu" Obiero , continuing to raise the country's flag high up to greater heights with basketball honours. Those were the days. There is NO excuse for poor performance, especially if you consider the magnitude and depth of talent in the country, and teh numerous avenues of tapping, nurturing and exposing the best of the best, starting with the federation leagues, to Universities and Colleges leagues, to the KSSSA High School League and not forgetting the streetbasketball and tournaments. Info:
Dann OWERRE/ FIBA Africa
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