FIBA Zone 5: The going is tough for Vijana
TANZANIA envoys at the FIBA Africa Zone V Women Championship Vijana Queen’s basketball team started the campaign on the wrong foot at the Benjamin Mkapa Indoor court in Dar es Salaam on Monday.
It was a tough going for the National Women’s League’s champions, Vijana Queens after losing 64-40 to Rwandan’s APR in their group B opening match.
Under tactician Ismail Mbise tactician, Vijana Queens started well in the first quarter and seems things are clicking as went 11-11 all-square before they fell to 1-8 in the second quarter that saw them going to interval 22-19 down.
But as winners APR charge from the third quarter the home side lost their steam to allow their opponents to control the game with 23-11 and hit 19-10 in the final quarter to seal a 64-40 victory.
Mahewa Mitiwa and Noela Uwandameno hit 11 points each as a team fight but were not enough to save the team.
APR’s Betty Kalanga and Assouma Uwizeye scored 17 and 13 points respectively to steer APR to a convincing victory.
In a group C opening battle defending champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) beat Young Sister of Burundi 69-42, while Alexandria Sporting of Egypt recorded a 51-49 victory over last year’s finalist Equity Bank of Kenya in a group A showdown.
In Tuesday match APR advance after recorded their second win victory humiliate 135-38 Walkite of Ethiopia, also in action in the evening Alexandria Sporting lock horns with South Sudan’s Nile Legends while Rwanda Energy Group (REG) will be playing against Young Sisters.
Vijana Queens return to the court today to complete their group stage fixture against Walkite.
The six-day competition also serves as a qualifier for the 2022 FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women.
Kenyan clubs have dominated this event over the years with sixteen-time national champions KPA and Equity Bank Hawks who have won thrice.
KPA and Equity Bank Hawks battled it out in an all-Kenyan final last year with the porters prevailing 71-35 in the end over the bankers but already KPA veteran coach Anthony Ojukwu has predicted an even brutal duel this time around.
Tanzania’s Don Bosco, the Hoops from Rwanda and Gladiators of Burundi who were part of the show last year missed out this time but this championship will surely live up to its billing as the opening matches shown.
