Kenya suffer early exit at FIBA 3x3 U23 Men's World Cup

Kenya's men's Under-23 3x3 basketball team suffered an early exit from the ongoing FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup in Wuhan, China on Thursday.

Drawn into a tough Pool C alongside Algeria, France, Poland and Australia, coach Tonny Ochieng's side struggled to find their footing against seasoned international opposition and failed to progress out of the group stage.

Kenya's campaign got off to a heartbreaking start when they fell 19-18 to Algeria in a tightly contested opener, with the North Africans edging the encounter in the closing moments.

The team then suffered a further setback, going down 21-17 to Poland, leaving their qualification hopes hanging by a thread inside a stacked pool that also featured formidable challengers France and Australia.

The squad, which included Joseph Blessing and Powell Hargos of UON Terror, Brian Musembi of KU Pirates, Jackson Waweru of USIU-A Tigers, Brian Eleman of KPA Dockers and David Baraka of Strathmore Blades, had travelled to China with genuine aspirations of reaching the knockout stages.

Waweru, who featured at the 2024 edition of the tournament, was seen as a key figure given his previous World Cup experience, while Eleman brought valuable continental exposure from Kenya's Africa 3x3 Youth Nations League campaigns.

The young bucks had booked their spot in Wuhan after winning gold at the Africa East Conference Champions event during the FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League in Mombasa in July 2026.

However, the step up in competition at the World Cup proved difficult to overcome, with the tight losses to Algeria and Poland proving costly in a pool format that offers little room for error.

While the men's side bowed out early, Kenya's women's U23 team enjoyed a brighter outing in Wuhan, opening their own campaign with an 18-15 win over Slovenia in Pool D.

Despite succumbing to Australia in their second game 21-12, the contrasting fortunes highlight the growing depth in Kenya's women's 3x3 programme even as the men's side heads back to the drawing board.

The tournament will be a valuable learning experience for the young Kenyan squad as they continue building toward future continental and global competitions, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.