Oluoch rues congested calendar for Equity's WBLA Zone V exit

Equity Hawks head coach Benson Oluoch has blamed a congested domestic basketball calendar for his side’s disappointing performance at the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone Five Qualifiers in Kibaha, Tanzania.

The bankers finished seventh in the regional competition, extending a difficult run for Kenyan teams Equity and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), who have dominated the regional stage in recent years but struggled to maintain their grip over the past three seasons.

Oluoch said his players were denied adequate rest after juggling domestic league assignments and the Interbanks Games before travelling to Tanzania for the Zone Five qualifiers.

“This season’s calendar needs to change to give players enough rest and allow them to perform at their best.

“Even as we were playing in the semi-finals, some of our players were also competing in the Interbanks Games before returning to play basketball in the evening,” said Oluoch.

“Immediately after the Interbanks Games, we were on a plane to go and play Zone Five, with the same players getting no rest.

“They had already competed in the Interbanks Games and the league semi-finals before going into a tournament against professional teams whose players were fully focused on the competition.”

Oluoch said the situation left Kenyan teams at a disadvantage against opponents who had completed their domestic seasons well before the continental qualifiers.

“The teams we were competing against finished their domestic seasons two months ago and had all that time to prepare physically and mentally for this tournament.

Meanwhile, we are juggling three different competitions within two weeks, with very little time to rest and recover.

“Something has to give because you cannot expect the same level of performance from players operating under such a demanding schedule. The calendar needs to change to give Kenyan players a fair chance to compete,” he added.

Equity must now regroup ahead of the National Women's Basketball Premier League finals, where they will face defending champions KPA in a repeat of recent domestic battles.

The bankers booked their place in the final after edging Stanbic Aces 3-2 in a closely contested semi-final playoff series, while KPA swept TH3 Swish 3-0 to advance.

However, neither Kenyan side will feature in the continental showpiece following their disappointing Zone Five campaigns. KPA finished fourth, while Equity placed seventh.

Burundi's REG won the Zone Five title after defeating compatriots APR in the final, underlining the growing challenge facing Kenyan clubs on the regional stage.