NAIROBI, July 17 -- Kenya men's basketball national team are eager to create history by reaching the final of the continental FIBA AfroBasket tournament, held in Bamako, Mali, from July 19 to 28.
Other teams participating in the 12-nation event are Mali, Angola, Algeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Guinea, Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Chad and Tunisia.
Kenya will be making only their second appearance at the tournament, and their first since 1989, when the championship was staged in Nigeria.
Head coach Cliff Owuor has challenged his team to conquer Africa after 30-year wait.
"We had a night to remember when we beat Egypt 97-79 in the Zone Five qualifiers in Kampala. That is history now. What we face is the defining moment, which will be used to identify our team. This is a chance to take basketball in Kenya up the ladder and gain some leverage and respect," said Owuor on Wednesday in Nairobi as the team departed for Bamako.
FIBA AfroBasket is a championship organized by Africa's basketball governing body FIBA Africa, specifically for players based in the continent. However, participating teams are allowed to have two foreign players on their roster.
Kenya beat Egypt, Rwanda and Uganda in the regional qualifiers to book their ticket to the competition, and Owuor believes it is the start of a new dawn in basketball in the country, where football, volleyball and athletics have traditionally dominated.
"This generation of players is slowly turning fans to look at basketball again. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They are on a learning mission and with a little support and luck, Kenya can reign supreme at the Africa Championship," he said.