National 3x3 basketball league could be the way to go - Tony Ochieng

Not necessarily a new sport in Kenya, 3x3 basketball has made the right noises over the last three years, showing improvements year on in the international scene but not much to rave about back at home.

With both the senior and junior squads prepping for participation in the FIBA Africa 3x3 Africa Cup, Kenya Women’s 3x3 basketball coach Tony Ochieng hopes to see them take over as Africa’s top team, but insists on the need for the game to ‘spread its wings locally’.

“Given our teams' participation in the All Africa games and the recent outing in Birmingham Commonwealth games, I think it’s time we get to expand the game across all regions in Kenya,” Ochieng said. “We have already seen the game introduced in the KSSA School games, the signs are there that we are slowly accepting the game, but definitely more can be done.”

Over the years, 3x3 basketball has shown tremendous growth in Kenya on both fronts, male and female. Universities have picked up the game and so have individuals participating in street and half-court tournaments. Kenya Basketball Federation in partnership with Red Bull staged the Red Bull Half-Court Tournament in Mombasa, Kisumu and Nairobi early this year, with a team jetting out to represent Kenya in the World Finals in Cairo, Egypt.

Existing in a database-oriented system that involves team selection based on individual players’ scoring points, Ochieng, based on some of the experiences drawn from international tournaments, believes that for 3x3 advancement, there needs to be a separation between 5 on 5 and 3x3 basketball.

“My interaction with top coaches in Romania for the U23 games revealed that most of their players are purely 3x3 basketballers, with zero to minimal national team participation in 5 on 5,” Ochieng said. “I think also in Kenya we need to do that, especially in national team selection. Rather than mixing both experiences, it would be great to single out players so that they can focus on one international format. 3x3 basketball is special because it gets the best out of a player in terms of skill and mindset. Few players in a small space opens up a player to making smart decisions and asking them to score more. Nothing physical.” Ochieng says.

The missing link is a 3x3 national league, as Ochieng explains:

“My idea is that we should have a rugby-like series – where we play on a monthly basis across big cities in Kenya – Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu that then culminates in a super-series in Nairobi. Other than the existing universities league, I am sure that one spread across all centres in Kenya would widen our pool for national team selection, enhancing diversity,” Ochieng advised.

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“Now that the game is still in its development phase, it would be great to also have more 3x3 coaches in all regions, standard training facilities, match balls and equipment that will push us to the next level. Our goal is to expose our players to more tournaments that will improve their rankings and scores, making them available for national team duty,” Ochieng remarked.

Through the game, players under Ochieng’s watch in both the national team and Strathmore University, where he coaches the varsity side, have acquired scholarships that have gone on to propel their individual careers. All that is left for the experienced coach is to see Kenyan fans embrace the sport and show support on all occasions.