KPA charge on for glory at Fiba Zone Five championships

FIBA Zone Five women’s basketball defending champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) made a strong start in their quest to defend the title as well as represent the region in the Women Basketball League Africa (WBLA) next year.

KPA who are the silver medalists of the WBLA took a 22-point lead in the opening quarter, en route to a 128-36 victory against Ethiopia’s Hawassa City at the Amaan Indoor Arena, Tanzania.

The Anthony Ojukwu-coached side were miles ahead of their opponent on all fronts, dominating in quarters of 32-10, 36-08, 29-06 and 31-12 to get the convincing victory.

New signing Alima Doumbia was in the class of her own, scoring a game-high 24 points with eight assists.

Five other players managed double digits including Belinda Okoth who was the second best scorer with 19 points and six rebounds as Grace Irebu and another new signing Nkem Akaraiwe added identical 18 points and four rebounds.

Former national team captain Hilda Indasi and Selina Okumu had 10 and 11 points each to complete the double digits scorers.

The Dockers will be taking on APR of Rwanda on Monday in their second and last Group B match.

The competitions got underway Sunday and will come to an end on November 2 at the newly-constructed Amaan Indoor Arena with the top two teams bagging automatic slots to the December Finals showpiece in Dakar, Senegal.

KPA are looking to return to the continental showpiece where they lost the title to Egypt’s Sporting Alexandria, in last year’s competition.

The Dockers have in the meantime roped in four players including Nigerian international Nkem Akariwe, and Veronica Keita from Benin. The other two are Alima Doumbia from Cote d'Ivoire and Rwandese talent Chantal Kiyobe who featured for Zetech Spark in the local league

In another match, national defending champions Equity Hawks defeated Gladiators of Burundi 73-57 in Group C, and are taking on REG of Rwanda Monday before winding up with Fox Divas of Tanzania in their last group C match on Tuesday.