Africa Beach Games: Kenya winds up with five medals
Kenya's three-on-three women's basketball team members celebrate after their victory over hosts Tunisia in the Africa Beach Games in Hammamet, Tunisia, on June 30, 2023. Kenya won 14-10.
What you need to know:
- The result means that Team Kenya will leave Tunisia with five medals, an improvement from the three at the inaugural games in Sal, Cape Verde, in 2019.
- Wrestlers Mark Omumasaba and Mathayo Mahabila clinched silver and bronze, respectively, while the women’s handball team won silver, these being Kenya’s first three medals.
In Hammamet, Tunisia
The Kenya Basketball Federation and National Olympic Committee of Kenya’s recent focus on developing three-on-three basketball continues to bear fruit after the women’s national team in the abridged version of the game stepped onto the podium on the final day of the Second Africa Beach Games here on Friday.
Kenya stunned hosts Tunisia 14-10 to qualify for the gold medal match which they lost 10-17 to Mali shortly after the tennis doubles pair of Faith Urasa and Shufaa Ruwa Changawa bagged a bronze medal earlier in the day.
Kenya's three-on-three women's basketball team members celebrate after their victory over hosts Tunisia in the Africa Beach Games in Hammamet, Tunisia, on June 30, 2023. Kenya won 14-10.
The result means that Team Kenya will leave Tunisia with five medals, an improvement from the three at the inaugural games in Sal, Cape Verde, in 2019.
Wrestlers Mark Omumasaba and Mathayo Mahabila clinched silver and bronze, respectively, while the women’s handball team won silver, these being Kenya’s first three medals.
Kenya’s women’s beach football team earlier on earned qualification to the World Beach Games to be held in Bali, Indonesia, in August after their opponents failed to show up.
“Our performance has been quite inspiring and encouraging. Sports which have been in the background have shown good potential. Investment in beach sports is paying off and trust it's just a matter of time before we become a powerhouse,” National Olympic Committee of Kenya Secretary General Francis Mutuku said Friday night after the basketball final.
For now, Kenya has only the women’s beach football team and one slot in aquathlon qualified for the World Beach Games to be held in Bali from August 5 to 12, with the rest of the disciplines waiting to see how the quotas will go, Mutuku exclusively confirmed to Nation Sport Friday night.
Despite their loss to Mali, Kenya’s women’s 3x3 basketball team celebrated a marked improvement that will hold them in good stead as they prepare to make it to the Paris Olympic Games next year where the abridged version of the sport will be on the programme.
In their semi-final against Tunisia on Friday, Team Kenya captain Lisa Omondi had a game-high eight points, leading the quartet of her Zetech University team-mate Madina Okot, MaryAnne Nyagaki and Margaret Nerea in dominating against the home girls.
The Kenyan girls were determined from the start, with a place on the podium at stake, taking the early initiative.
With under four minutes to play though, the Tunisians had rallied to tie the game at 8-8 with Haddadi Abir shooting for two, but Lisa responded to restore a two-point gap for Kenya.
With 1:25 to play, Kenya led 12-9, but they had a scare when Naima Attia was fouled, but, luckily, she only made one of two from the free throws, the difference remaining just two points.
The Kenyan girls stretched the lead to four points, Okot going for a lay-up to stretch the game to a single point lead.
With 5.9 seconds to play, she was fouled and was given two shots on the free throw line and converted one of throws but that mattered little as the four-point gap was already too big to bridge for the home team.
