BY JULIUS MBARAGA
MARINE could field an under-strength side when the Eastern and Central Africa Club Championship/ Zone 5 Club Championships gets underway on July 27 in Kampala, Uganda.
The 2007 league champions risk losing the likes of Aboubacar Barame and Ilunga Elibo to the senior national basketball team in the FIBA-Africa men championship/ 2009 Afrobasket competition scheduled to run from August 5-15 in Libya.
“Right now, it’s hard to say what will happen, but we shall strike a balance if the two players make it to the final squad for Libya,” the national basketball federation president Eric Kalisa said.
Marine and APR (women) will be Rwanda’s flag bearers in the club event which doubles as a qualification ground for the Fiba-Africa club championship set for November in Kigali.
The Zone 5 men defending champions APR will not take part since they have a direct ticket to the FIBA-Africa club championships as the host club.
Uganda will field six teams; Falcons, Warriors and D Mark in the men’s category and KCC, UCU and Lady Canons in the women fray.
Kenya will be represented by national champions Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and KPA in the men category while Zone 5 defending champions KPA, Kenya national queens and Eagle Wing carry Kenya’s hopes in the women category.
Sudan, making a debut appearance in the event will field Bilpam Warriors while Somalia will have Heagem men and women teams to carry their flag.
Tanzania will field two sides; Jeshi Stars (women) and former national champions ABC.