Kenya: Minala is Latest Inclusion On Women’s Basketball List

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Dann O’werre

29 June 2011

US-based player Doreen Minala is the latest player to be included in the provisional squad of the national women’s basketball team to 10th All Africa Games set for September in Maputo.

The towering centre, a student in Alabama, was given a late called up alongside Vilma Akinyi of Asumbi TTC and Merceline Welimo of Kenyatta University. The three, according to coach Philip Onyango, will bolster the Kenya side for the Pan Africa Games. Onyango was in Nairobi over the weekend to monitor the progress of the selected players in the Premier League.

He said the draws released on Saturday were very favourable. Kenya are placed in Pool ‘A’ alongside Mozambique, DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Algeria and Nigeria. The women competition is scheduled for September 3-12. “The draw is favourable but for us to progress, we will have to beat Zimbabwe and Algeria and then take care of Congo and Nigeria. Against the host, anything can happen,” he said. Onyango said they hope to finish in a respectable position in their group in order to avoid top teams in Pool ‘B’, which he described as the group of death. Kenya were fifth in Algeria in 2007. “We will work on improving our position in the preliminary round matches and once we do that, we will be alright,” he noted. The top four from each group will progress to the quarter-finals. Playing in Pool ‘B’ will be Zone Five champions Rwanda who will be making their debut in the festival. Others are reigning champions Senegal, Cameroon, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire and Africa champions Mali.

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