KISUMU, Kenya, Apr 30 – Red Bull continues to tap new talents in the basketball field as stakeholders decry lack of proper infrastructure to nurture the game at the grassroots level.
Brian Lusaga, Red Bull tournament organizer in Western Kenya says lack of playing grounds is a major challenge in nurturing talents.
Lusaga says talent exists for basketball but nurturing the talent is proving an uphill task as basketball courts are lacking in the counties.
“Most of the basketball courts are in institutions and our youths and teenagers suffer to have access to playable courts,” he said.
For instance, in Kisumu, he says, there are only two public basketball courts, at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex, which is under renovations.
“Sports is devolved and I want to appeal to our counties to develop more courts where our youth can have easy access and play,” he said.
Lusaga spoke on Saturday in Kisumu during the Red Bull Half Court tournament attracting 30 teams, with 21 men’s teams and 9 ladies’ teams.
He says basketball is a game with immense potential with talented teenagers attracting sponsorship and scholarship right from primary school up to the college level.
“Red Bull has given our youth a good chance to showcase their talents,” he said.
The tournament coordinator Zadock Adika says the game gives those with talents but miss out on the normal local league teams to showcase their talents.
The 3×3 basketball tournament, he says, will culminate in Nairobi where the winner will represent Kenya in Serbia later this year.
Adika noted that the Red Bull Half Court is all about getting buckets and playing high-octane offence.
Already, the tournament has been played in Mombasa, Eldoret, with Kisumu edition played on Saturday before moving to Nairobi, thereafter culminating in the national championship still in the Capital City.
“3×3 is a game played by three players, one is a substitute, because of its first pace, we get players with good executions,” he said.
Adika noted that many coaches are scouting for players during the tournaments giving young players to be picked for bigger assignments.
During the day long tournament at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga ports Complex 4 men’s teams progressed to Nairobi while two ladies teams that reached the finals also progressed.
“For the men, we picked the ones who reached the semis but for the ladies because of their numbers we picked those who reached the finals,” he said.
For the Kisumu series, men’s teams that qualified for Red Bull Half Court Nairobi finals include Lukos, Panthers, Kolosh Boyz and Raiders, while the ladies teams include Adili Divas and Cherry Bombers.
-By Ojwang Joe-
