NAIROBI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Ten countries have confirmed participation in the Africa Games Zone Five qualifiers, which will be held in Kampala, Uganda next week.
Host Uganda will welcome a rising Burundi team, in addition to Egypt, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Tanzania.
The tournament is scheduled for June 26 to July 1 with the winner securing tickets to the Africa Games, which will be held in Rabat, Morocco in August.
Kenya women basketball team coach Ronnie Owino is upbeat, believing that Kenya will navigate through the tough regional tournament to win the title and ticket back to the Africa Games.
"There is good talent in Kenya, which we want to expose and prove to our critics that basketball is developing in our country. This team is capable to repeat the 2013 performance in Dar es Salaam when we beat all teams including defending champions Egypt to win the Zone Five Championships title," said Owino on Wednesday in Nairobi.
Egypt has long dominated the regional competition, but Owino says Kenya has stepped up its preparation and will take the challenge to Egypt's door step and trounce them.
Kenya skipped the 2015 Africa Games, which was staged in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. However, the coach is hopeful the players, especially the foreign legion recalled to the team will rise to the occasion and carry the country through the qualifiers.
"All the foreign players we called are in the camp. We are certain to leverage on their experience and skills to propel Kenya to win in Kampala," said Owino.
Foreign-based players including forward Ronnie Gundo, center Desmond Owili, Taylor Okari and Bush Wamukota have linked up with the men's national team, which is training in Nairobi. Head coach Cliff Owuor will name the final 12 players, who will do duty for the country in Uganda.
Owino of the women's team has only called in four players plying their trade abroad. They are point guard Rose Ouma, Mercy Wanyama, Clara Rotich and Edna Kola.
