NAIROBI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya hopes the infusion of foreign based players in the national basketball teams will propel them to qualify for the Africa Games.
The last time Kenya men team featured in the continental games, which are dubbed the mini Olympics, was back in 1999 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Africa Zone Five championship in June will be sued as the qualifier for the Africa Games.
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) secretary, Vitalis Gode, says lack of government support and youth structures are to blame for the drop. Africa Zone Five giants Egypt and Rwanda have dominated the games at the expense of Kenya.
Gode says they will seek to one million shillings (10,000 U.S. dollar) to prepare the teams adequately for the Africa Zone Five championship slated for Kampala, Uganda from June 25-July 1 where Kenya will be up against champions Egypt, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Only the winner will seal the ticket to Africa Games in Rabat, Morocco in August.
"We have realized that as we can't wait for government funding to start preparations. We also need to do something to start off our training programs," Gode said on Wednesday in Nairobi.
KBF has also okayed team coaches Ronny Owino (women) and Cliff Owuor (men) to identify the foreign based players and persuade them to return home to help salvage the team. A total of 11 men and women players, have been identified by the coaches.
They are - Desmond Owili (Australia), Tylor Okari (Denmark), Kevin Oyugi, Bush Wamukota and Ronny Gundo (USA), Kennedy Oyugi (Canada) and Robert Nyakundi (France). The women include Felmas Koranga (USA), Mercy Wanyama (Spain), Velma Owino (Seychelles) and Rose Ouma (Dubai).
"We are bringing in players from the diaspora to have a strong chance of qualifying. We have three players who have gone out of their way to make arrangements to come on their own and we appreciate their efforts. Now we will look for tickets for another five," said Gode.
Kenya men's team has only had one friendly match against Cameroon in Nairobi in November, which they lost.
However, head coach Cliff Owuor had a lot to pick from it and hopes to build on it ahead of the Zonal competition.
