By ABDULRAHMAN SHERIFF
Mildred Olumasi, a student at Union University of Tennessee in USA, is expected in Kenya this weekend to join the national under-18 basketball team.
The team is in residential training in Mombasa for the Africa Under-18 girls’ basketball championships in Cairo from July 29 to August 6.
“Eleven players have reported to camp and are training at the St Mary’s Catholic Church in Changamwe every morning and at the Mombasa Sports Club (MSC) in the evenings,” team coach Philip Onyango said.
Travel document hitches
Mildred is among four players yet to report to camp while the remaining players are expected by this weekend.
Buruburu High School’s Melisa Akinyi, daughter of former Harambee Stars defender John “Bobby” Ogolla, is expected on Friday and her two school mates, Mary Atieno and Salome Vuhasho, on Thursday.
“I will drop three players from the 15 in the squad before the team’s departure to Cairo,” said Onyango. Already, Mwijabu Mwidadi and Suzan Wadegu, both from Shimba Hills, have been axed due to travel document hitches while Christine Ndalo is out with a knee injury.
The Coastal resort was chosen for the training since it has similar hot and humid conditions to the Egyptian city. Kenya will also be sending a team to Kigali, Rwanda, for the boys’ competition.
The two teams earned automatic qualification to represent Zone Five in the championship after they failed to get opponents in the elimination round matches in Nairobi in April.
It will be Kenya’s second appearance in the continental event. This time round the teams will be looking to improve on their performance, having finished last without a win in the boys’ event in Egypt and eighth in the girls’ category in Tunisia in 2008.
Under-18 players in camp
Zipporah Khasoa, Lucy Ohanga, Fatuma Mohamed (Shimba Hills High School, Coast), Natally Akinyi (Bulimo Secondary, Western), Harriet Awuor (Nakuru High, Rift Valley), Georgia Adhiambo (Buruburu High, Nairobi), Purity Auma, Virginia Awino (Strathmore, Nairobi), Susan Akinyi (MSC, Coast), Hellen Mtulla (KPA, Coast), Lucy Wanjala (unattached)