The Republic of Uganda played host to the Zone Five FIBA Africa Games (formerly dubbed 2009 East & Central Africa Club Championships ) in Kampala, Uganda from the 27th to 3rd August 2009. The participating teams were from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and hosts Uganda. Sudan and Somalia, who had confirmed participation, withdrew at the 11th hour.

The teams were pooled as follows:

Men
Pool A: Power, JKT (Tanzania), CSK (Rwanda), Warriors, Co-op Bank (Kenya)
Pool B: KCB (Kenya), Marines (Rwanda), ABC (Tanzania), KPA (Kenya), Falcons, New Stars (Burundi)

Women
Pool A: A1, Eagle Wings (Kenya), KCC Leopards, UNR (Rwanda)
Pool B: KPA (Kenya), Berco Stars (Burundi), KIU Rangers, APR (Rwanda)

With a place at the Africa Club Championships later this year is at stake for the Zone 5 winners, the games lived up to its expectations.

Kenyan sides Dominate Zone 5 Games As KPA Retain Regional Title While Coop Bank Reclaim Men’s Title

KPA's Joyce Makhungu drives to the basket

Abdulai R- Kyambogo Warriors, #8 Bobby Okwako-Coop Bank and Martin Okwako - Warriors, fight for the ball as Alan Ouma-Coop Bank loooks on.

Henry Malinga in action for Falcons against Marines from Rwanda

Kenyan sides, Kenya ports Authority-KPA women and Cooperative Bank, men won the 2009 FIBA Africa Zone 5 Championships in Kampala, Uganda. KPA were the first to register their win after hitting hosts Kampala City Council-KCC 67-45, before Cooperative Bank upset Uganda’s Warriors 53-47 in a tough duel.

Final results: Men: Coop Bank-Kenya 53 vs. Warriors-Uganda 47. Women: KPA -Kenya 67 vs. KCC Leopards 45. Awards: MVP Men – Richard Omondi Osano (Coop Bank-Kenya) MVP Women – Irene Marambi KPA-Kenya. Top scorer: Men – R. Kasewu Warriors-Uganda, Women – Ayebale Ondori of APR-Rwanda. Fair play: KCC Leopards - Uganda.

League Champions, Kenya Ports Authority-KPA showed their prowess beyond borders when they hit hosts Kampala City Council-KCC 67-45 to retain the FIBA Africa Zone Five Championships, played in Kampala Uganda. Veterans Joyce Makhungu, Irene Marambi, Millicent Anyango and Yvonne Akinyi teamed up well as the Kenyan side dominated the game to take the first quarter 17-10 and the second quarter 14-09 to lead 31-19 at the half. KPA narrowly went down 14-15 in the third quarter after a Ugandan onslaught led by veteran guard Flavia Oketch, but recovered to take the final quarter 22-11 to claim the deserved victory. Makhungu bagged 18 points with Marambi, Anyango and Akinyi each shooting 9 points for KPA, while Flavia Oketch shot 17 points for KCC. Marambi was named the Tournaments Most Valuable Player (women). With this triumph, KPA will represent the East & Central African Region in the Africa Basketball Championship to be in Benin in October, 2009.

Semi Finals:
KPA 56 – Eagle Wings (Kenya) 53
KCC (Uganda) 74 – APR (Rwanda) 66

In the men’s final Cooperative Bank defeated fancied Kyambogo Warriors from Uganda 53-47 in a tough encounter. Kenyan international, Richard Osano teamed up with Alan Ouma, Eugene Genga and Bernard Mufutu to recover from a 11-16 first quarter deficit, to take the second quarter 16-07 for a 27-23 scoreline at the break, before bagging 14-15 points in the third and eventually taking the last quarter 16-15 for the win. Genga shot 15 points, Mufutu 12 as Osano added 12 points and was named the Championships Most Valuable Player (men).

Semi Finals
Co-op Bank (Kenya) 64 – KPA (Kenya) 60
Warriors (Uganda) 78 – KCB Lions (Kenya) 60

The men’s play-off game saw Kenyan sides; KCB Lions and KPA face off in an entertaining encounter. Tobias Onyango was instrumental as KCB Lions led 14-7 after the first quarter, and proceeded to take the second quarter 17-15. KPA recovered to take the third quarter 26-16, but Lions recovered through Onyango, backed by Erick Omari and Dennis Opiyo to edge out the porters 21-15 in the final quarter. Onyango shot 19 points for KCB with Omari and Opiyo adding 12 each, while Francis Odari had 19 and Fred Otieno nine for KPA.

Preliminary Games
31st July, 2009: Fearless Omony inspires Falcons

Falcons 86-85 Newstars
KPA 67-69 Marines
KCB 91-63 ABC

Falcons won’t ask for more from Stephen Omony. The star player Thursday night ‘accounted’ for the Shs72m spent on his signature by helping Falcons edge Burundi side Newstars 86-85 in a Sprite Zone 5 Africa Championship encounter at YMCA Wandegeya. The former PSL Hawks star played like a possessed man, on a night Falcons needed victory to survive elimination from the Africa Club Championships qualifying tournament. At the start, it was all Newstars. The Burundian's overran Falcons 26-19 in the first quarter and went into recess carrying a 50-38 advantage. That looked like a hell of a mountain for Falcons to climb. But not with Omony on court. The 29-year-old star pulled down a tournament high 34 points, 18 of them from outside the arc as the Ugandans rallied to outlast Newstars 24-14, 24-21 in the last two sessions. “We had no option but to dig deep,” Omony commented at the end of the game that equally brought out the best from local fans. It was a pressure cooker for both teams. After surrendering their lead, Newstars clawed back and were in touching distance of victory going into the final five minutes of the game (74-68). A charged Omony sunk in two back-to-back three pointers and converted one on the line for Falcons to take a one-point lead (75-74). That was the turning point although Newstars never ran out of steam. They kept John Ssimbwa’s team under check and nearly sent the game into overtime only for Hirwa Blaise (12 points) to miss one shot on the charity line at the end of regulation time. Henry Malinga, ejected towards the end of fourth quarter, pulled down 24 points while his brother Eric contributed 11 in one of the most memorable victories for Falcons. Christian Butoyi garnered 8 points but Newstars must be ruing their missed chances. The power interruptions in the last session, too, contributed to the drama on the night but luck was clearly on Falcons’ side. “We gave it our best,” Falcons patron Ssimbwa said.

Day One:
Falcons 71-75 Marines
ABC 70-102 KPA
Coop 81-63 CSKA

Everything went wrong for Uganda's Falcons as the Sprite Zone 5 Championship got underway at YMCA Wandegeya evening. First, the local league record champions almost got penalized for arriving late.Falcons didn’t get enough time to warm up and psyche for the game but that can’t be an excuse for the 71-75 loss. The Rwandans got off to a dream start, after finding Falcon's Stephen Omony, Francis Tumusime and Sam Obol not at their usual best, winning the opening two quarters 16-13 and 21-19 respectively but Falcons’ experience was always expected to come to the fore. Arnold Akwira (16 points), Elibo Muhire (21) and Gedeka Kateguhaga (20), three rare talents in the Rwandan side, kept the Falcons’ defence on its toes despite the Ugandans winning the third quarter 22-13. In the other day one games, Kenya Ports Authority-KPA men's team made their intentions about winning the title known when they hit ABC from Tanzania 102-70 in an entertaining tie. Another Kenyan team, Co-operative Bank defeated CSK from Rwanda 81-63 in their Pool A opener.

Past Zone 5 winners

Year	Men	Women
1995	Posta (Kenya)	KCB Lionees (Kenya)
1996	Coop Bank (Kenya)	KCB Lioness (Kenya)
1997	Coop Bank (Kenya)	KCB Lioness (Kenya)
1998	Coop Bank (Kenya)	KCB Lioness (Kenya)
1999	Cobras	Telkom (Kenya)
2000	Falcons (Uganda)	Ogopa (Kenya)
2001	Vijana (Tanzania)	APR (Rwanda)
2002	APR (Rwanda)	KPA (Kenya)
2003	Ulinzi (Kenya)	JKT (Tanzania)
2004	Postbank (Kenya)	Lady Bucks (Uganda)
2005	KCB Lions (Kenya)	Storms (Kenya)
2006	KCB Lions (Kenya)	KPA (Kenya)
2007	APR (Rwanda)	KPA (Kenya)
2008	APR (Rwanda)	KPA (Kenya)
2009	Coop Bank (Kenya)	KPA (Kenya)
* Kenya has won the Women's title a record 12 out of 14 times (including the last four championships in a row), and 9 out 14 times in the Men's category.

Info: alsabasketball.co.ke & agencies
Photos: alsaINTERACTIVEMEDIA