Morans at great pains after match forfeiture in Afrobasket Qualifiers
Kenya’s forfeited yesterday evening match Tunisia in the thirds round of Afrobasket Qualifiers in Libya against Tunisia has put Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) in bad light with irate fans demanding answers.
The missed match was occasioned by the national men’s team Kenya Morans failing to get a connecting flight in time thus a hastily arranged chartered flight hours later was the solution.
Even so, they still missed the game and thus the North Africans were gifted 20 free points leaving a bitter pill to Cliff Owuor’s side.
With the unplayed match, it meant Kenya has fallen to the pits at the base of group E with one win in four matches and four points. Guinea on the other hand stunned continental heavyweights Angola albeit by half a basket (66-65) to move to third with Tunisia topping the group unbeaten on eight points.
A statement from KBF Management Friday undersigned by Secretary General Angela Luchivya did little to quell the anger of fans;
“The Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) regrets to report that due to unforeseen logistical challenges, which included lack of connecting flights into Tripoli, Kenya Morans Basketball Team is unable to arrive in time for the opening match at the ongoing FIBA Afrobasket Championship in Libya. As a result, Kenya will be forced to forfeit the match against Tunisia.”
“While this setback is regrettable, Kenya Morans remain focused on the competition ahead. Kenya’s chances remain positive as the players are determined to give the best performance in the upcoming fixtures against Angola and Guinea”
The statement went further; “We extend our sincere gratitude to the government of Kenya, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Arts and Sports plus the Sports Fund body for their swift intervention and support in securing a chartered flight to ensure that the team arrives at the competition venue.”
“The commitment of the Kenya government to the success of our national team is truly appreciated. We recognize FIBA Africa and the Libyan Basketball Federation for their support. Kenya Morans remain resilient and urge the fans to continue supporting the team as they take to the court for the next fixtures.”
It had been widely reported in social media a day prior to the scheduled match against Tunisia that the Morans had failed to secure tickets and were thus handicapped in travel. The issue of the team getting stranded in Nairobi was subject to ridicule with KBF officials accused of incompetence and lack of foresight.
