Equity raid opponents for top talent

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men’s premier league side Equity Bank have sounded the warning shot to opponents in the top tier with what could easily have been big-money moves had the league been even in the least professional.

After a good run in the regular season in 2019, Equity could not handle the heat of the playoffs and were eliminated in the quarters, forcing the side to go back to the drawing board and strategize for the new season.

Before the 2020 season was put on hold due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Equity held trials at their Nyayo Gymnasium training grounds with the intention of adding depth to the playing unit ahead of the canceled season.

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The bankers have incorporated six new players to their unit while maintaining a core of the squad that did duty for the Carey Odhiambo-coached side in the 2019 edition.

Equity’s top pick is easily Morans and Thunder’s forward Faheem Juma whose rise to the national team is nothing short of a fairytale. Having joined basketball in 2014 after completing high school, he has worked his way up from playing for Neosasa in the lower league to reaching the final in 2019 with Nairobi City Thunder. His scoring prowess is a huge boost to the Equity side.  

Equity have also infiltrated Thunder for their defensive player Shem Otieno who was a core member of the Thunder squad and helped them reach their first-ever top tier final in their history.

Additionally, Davis Siaji who has been touted as an elite scorer but more lethal on the defense joins the bankers from relegated United States International University (USIU). During the 2020 Far East Basketball Association (FEBA), Siaji turned up for second-place finishers Dream Team and went on to win the defensive player of the tournament award.

Coach David Maina who will be the overall coach of the men’s and women’s Equity teams has also acquired the signature of another former USIU player, Fredrick Onono as well as Strathmore University’s Joseph Ongoro. Completing the new signings list is Lakeside’s experienced Chrispine Abuto. They are, however, likely to lose the services of lethal three-point scorer Faizal Aden who left for the United States afte the 2020 season did not throw off.

“We will be running a tight ship as we look to build a title-winning side. For now, I will be in charge of the team until the men’s head coach T9 is back in the country. He is currently in the United States and the soonest he can be back in the country is February 26,” explained coach Maina who previously led the ladies’ side to three titles.