Kenya 5× 5 wheelchair men’s basketball national team lost to a physically imposed Senegal 66-30 on Saturday at the Pavilaho Multiuso do Kilamba, Luanda in Angola during the ongoing Africa wheelchair basketball championships.
Speaking right after the match, Kenya’s head coach Nicholas Ngumbi told media that he was unfazed, adding that he started the tournament with Africa’s heavy weights and that his charges are improving as they grow into the championship.
” Yes we have lost two in a row, but it’s no worries to me, we shall pick up ourselves tomorrow. The most important thing is that my boys are responding well to what I am teaching them, we shall get there,” promised Ngumbi.
Kenya started on a right note, proving to Africa ranked number four, Les Lions de Teranga that they are no push overs, with Milton Ilahuya making the first score.
It was a push and pull battle that Kenya lost heading to the last quarter, ending the third one at a distant 26-50 after Milton Ilahuya combined well with vice-captain Itaken Timoi, making a three pointer to end the quarter.
The west Africans came out strong on Kenya in the final fourth quarter with an inspired Elhadji Diouf beginning it by scoring a free throw pushing the scores to 51 after a foul by Ian kanji.
The bearded Deudonne Dagoia, Salidou Diene and Eadagar Samb pushed Kenyans to the wall, finally breaking their resilience by making sure they score on their shots, while Kenyans were unlucky with theirs, only managing a total of 30-66, to the buzzer, Senegal carrying the day.
On Sunday Kenya’s men will battle another African giant, Algeria at 11:00 am, and wait to see if they can also do a double against DRC, but subject to confirmation, while the women’s team will be up against host nation Angola at 4:30 pm local time.
