Nairobi to host Road to BAL, Women’s Basketball League Africa qualifiers

Nairobi is gearing up to host two major continental basketball events in November — the Women’s Basketball League Africa Group D – Zone 5 Qualifiers and the Road to BAL Elite 16 tournament.

According to the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF), hosting the two premier championships reaffirms FIBA Africa’s confidence in Kenya as a growing basketball hub.

The Women’s Basketball League Africa qualifiers, set to be held from November 9 to 15 at Nyayo Gymnasium, will feature eight teams, including reigning national basketball champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Zetech University from Kenya.

Others are Gladiators from Uganda, two teams from Tanzania, two from Rwanda, and one from Ethiopia making its debut.

The top two teams from the championship will qualify for the final round in Cairo, Egypt, in December.

“As Kenya Basketball Federation we are very excited to have these two championships being hosted in Kenya because this just affirms the fact that FIBA Africa has confidence in Kenya as a host as well as a growing basketball hub," said KBF Secretary General Angela Luchivya.

The Road to BAL Elite 16 tournament will take place from November 18 to 23 at Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium.

Nairobi City Thunder, the first Kenyan team to qualify for BAL last year, will look to make the premier continental competition for the second time in a row.

“We are excited to once again host the Road to BAL Elite 16 in Nairobi. Nairobi City Thunder, our two-time national league champions, will represent Kenya, and we look forward to fans coming out in large numbers to support them.”

Luchivya also called on corporate partners to support basketball in the country, saying, “Basketball in Kenya is growing rapidly, and this is the perfect time for sponsors to come on board and help us elevate the game.”

Revealing the financial situation ahead of the tournaments, Luchivya noted, “Our total budget stands at Ksh 70m, and so far, we have raised Ksh. 29 million. This leaves us with a deficit of 41 million shillings. We need 21 million for the Road to BAL Championship and 15 million for the Women’s Championship.”

She added that a large part of the budget will go toward venue costs.

“The hiring costs for venues have increased significantly after Sports Kenya doubled rates at Kasarani from Ksh 100,000 to Ksh 250,000 shillings per day.”

“Kenya has gained valuable experience after hosting international games last year. We are now better placed to organize future events and to continue developing our basketball infrastructure.”

“This is the right time for Kenya to start thinking about constructing another indoor arena similar to those in Kigali or Dakar to accommodate high-caliber international tournaments.”

Zetech University official Harriet Fakhirs has expressed optimism and readiness ahead of the championship.

“We are proud to be making our first international appearance. We have prepared well both mentally and physically for this challenge.”

She added, “Of course there’s pressure playing at home, but we take it positively. It motivates us to perform well and represent Kenya with pride.”