Africa Beach Games: Kenya's 3x3 team win silver after valiant effort

Kenya women’s 3x3 basketball side secured the country another piece of silverware as they took silver on the final day of action at the second edition of the Africa Beach Games in Hammamet, Tunisia.

The team - which had earlier in the day secured wins over Uganda and Tunisia, was edged out on fine margins in Friday evening’s final by Mali, losing 18-10 after putting up a stellar fight with a good display.

With 8:13 played, the Kenyan side had a scare with MaryAnne Nyagaki limping off with injury and the Malians leading 5-1.

Africa Beach Games: Kenya 3x3 women’s basketball team stun Tunisia to book spot in final

She had to sit out for some minutes, but gathered the energy to rise back to the court.

Kenya battled with move to within a point of the Malians, Nyagaki hitting two from beyond the arch to take the game 9-8 in favor of the Malians.

However, the West Africans capitalized on Kenya’s misfortune with their shots and layups as they went on a 7-0 scoring run to take the game to 16-8.

With under a minute and a half left, the fight was there for the Kenyan girls, but it wasn’t enough to take them across the line.

“It was just small errors in defense and our passing under the rim that needed a bit of work,” skipper Mary Lisa Omondi said post-game. “But we are proud of what we have achieved as a team.”

“This means a lot to us because it shows just how hard we have worked. We are really delighted as a team. We did well against Mali because in the first game when we faced them in the group stages, the gap was wide. But we reduced it,” sounded off Margaret Nerea.

Kenya had in the preliminary phases lost to Mali by a score of 21-14, with Kenya’s revival on the second day seeing them better their performance from Sal, Cape Verde, in 2019, when they clinched only three medals.