The Kenya Women’s 5×5 Wheelchair Basketball team took on spirited hosts Angola at the ongoing Africa Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Luanda, losing to the home side 18-36 on Sunday.
Speaking right after the final whistle from the Pavilaho Multiuso de Kilamba, national team head coach Sarah Libese was upbeat with her charges’ performance ,ruling out stage fright in the sold out Pavilaho as the reason for their defeat.
” We came out well, my guys are still young and the mistakes we saw today are very much common with a young team on a big stage like this one,” Libese told the media, amidst the cheering Angolans.
” Now we have no choice but to beat Morocco and Algeria, then wait for South Africa, but all in all, we won’t miss the podium,” promised the head coach.
Libese’s counterpart Monis Marques however,praised the Kenyans for their speed and stamina, arguing that Kenya is still a threat in the tournament.
Kenya started out slower of the two sides inside the home of African powerhouse basketball team Petro De Luanda.
They lost the first quarter, but coming into the second quarter, Libese made changes, bringing in U-25 prodigies Christine Mutheu as Guard and Ashley Autai as power forward , changes that pushed Marques’ side, who still had enough to take a 23-16 lead into the break.
Kenya Outwitted in the Second Half
Libese introduced another power forward Phyllis Warioko Nyambura and captain Beth Wanja in center and later Guard Eunice Otieno.
However, the veterans could do little to prevent a resolute Angolan side, who dominated the half from clinching an eventual 36-18 win.
Earlier on, the Kenyan women’s male counterparts could not match the threat of Algeria, who obliterated them 68-27.
Kenya’s men have a chance to redeem themselves on Monday when they play lowly ranked DRC, while the ladies will be facing Algeria and then South Africa.
By David Ndolo
