Basketball league reach climax this weekend at different venues
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Men’s Premier League 2021 season reaches its climax this weekend in three different venues and former champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) say they want to end the season in style.
KPA who are seeking to reclaim the title they lost to current winners Ulinzi Warriors in 2019 are hosting Embakasi Youth Basketball Club (EMYBA) today at Makande Gymnasium Basketball Hall Mombasa, and coach Sammy Kiki is optimistic of wrapping up their season campaign with a resounding victory.
“This is our last match of the league regular season, and we want to come out very strong in this game, though we didn’t top the league, we want to finish the regular season with class,” KPA men’s team coach Sammy Kiki told People Sport.
Kiki said that they wanted to finish top at the end of the league regular season but last weekend’s 73-66 defeat to Ulinzi Warriors denied them the opportunity but he remains optimistic about finishing strong and preparing for the post-season playoffs which he says means everything to them in their quest to reclaim their league, and in the process extend their title haul to five, having won the league four times in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Topping the league is important because you get to play against a team that finished 8th position and also have the advantage of playing more games at home but most importantly is winning the playoffs, that’s what matters,” coach Kiki said.
He said that they played well against Warriors but lost a little bit of focus and concentration in defense and in offence coupled with some turnovers and missed baskets which he believes if they had been more careful with the ball and converted the missed baskets they would have won that game, adding that they have corrected those mistakes and his boys are ready for the EMYBA encounter today from 4 pm.
In Eldoret, hosts Eldonets are taking on Equity Bank while Strathmore University Blades are facing off with Kenyatta University (KU) Pirates in the other two men’s league fixtures, while in the KBF women’s premier league season finale fixtures, bottom-placed Kisumu Lady Bucks will be the busiest team this weekend with three tough matches against hosts Storms today from 1 pm at Nyayo National Stadium Basketball Hall, while tomorrow at the same venue, they will face off with Eagles Wings from 8:30 am and UoN Dynamites (1 pm).
