Top talents on display as Africas Dream tournament concludes

The annual basketball youth tournament run under the burner of Africas Dream was held this week, concluding on Friday 17 at Nyayo Indoor Arena. 

The tourney had brought together over 500 participants from Kenya and Democratic Republic of Congo competing in Under-1i and Under-16 age groups for both boys' and girls' categories. 

Slum Dunk won the Under-16 girls' final beating Golden Eagles 53-33 in a match that saw Trixcy Akinyi lead her side with 12 points in the victory. 

It was,however, Eagles' Shantel Wairimu who lit up the Nyayo Indoor Arena with points after another, bagging 27 with teammate Awek Wol scoring 12 in the loss. 

In the boys' Under16 category Dee Mentor picking a slim 50-46 victory over Eastleigh Mennonites as Juach Geu led the scoring with 16 points, one more than teammate Tong Yor. 

Meanwhile, Edith Otieno scored 15 with Mary Adhiambo adding 11 for FEBA as the side beat Slum Dunk 60-50 to lift the girls' Under-18 title. 

The closely contested encounter had Daisy Awino outscored everyone for 22 points but it was not enough to give her side, Slum Dunk, victory. 

Africas Dream lived up to expectations in the boys' Under-18 category, lifting the trophy in a 86-52 thrashing of FEBA. 

Bol Kerubino and Ali Hussein led the scoring for Africas Dream with 2u and 20 points respectively as Alvin Otieno and David Baraka top scored for FEBA with 24 and 22 in the loss. 

Alice Onono, founder of Africas Dream and Pracky Ilamaha, both former national team players, were in attendance. 

"Basketball made me what I am. That is why I brought this programme home," Onono, one of the fastest players to ever don the national team colours in the 1990's said.

The programme identifies talented players across East and Central Africa with another Kenyan international, Evelyn Kedogo, leading the scouting, and finds them scholarships in United States where Onono is based. 

One of the programme's success stories is Kenya Morans' forward Ronnie Gundo who was scouted and landed scholarship through Africas Dream, among others. 

U-16 Defensive players

Girls- Agol Adim (Golden Eagles).

Boys- Amin Mohammed (Eastleigh Mennonites).

U-16 MVPs

Girls- Stacey Akoth (Slum Dunk).

Boys- Juach Geu (Dee Mentor).

U-18 Defensive Players

Girls- Daisy Awino (Slum Dunk).

Boys- Ali Hussein (Africas Dream).

U18 MVPs

Girls- Joyce Wangui (FEBA)

Boys- Kerubino Bol (Africas Dream)