Oluoch challenges KBF to utilise available facilities for basketball growth

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) have found themselves without a permanent home for their Nairobi matches after an alleged increase in charges for the Nyayo Indoor Arena. 

Unable to sustain the payment according to Secretary General (SG) Ambrose Kisoi, the federation has had to find alternative venues for their matches for Nairobi-based teams. 

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Last weekend, action was hosted at the Ulinzi Complex, even though matches had initially been scheduled for United States International University (USIU) grounds. 

This weekend, action has been moved to the Strathmore grounds for both division one and premier league matches as the Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA) who normally use the varsity grounds are nearing their season's conclusion with the playoff finals on. 

Africa Nazarene University (ANU) head coach Mile Oluoch has, however, challenged the federation to allow teams that have their own facilities to host their home matches at said venues. 

"We have both an indoor and outdoor facility good enough to host league matches but that avenue has not been exploited. We hosted the 2018 playoffs comfortable at ANU and plans were underway to have part of the league action there. However, that fell through. 

We have played Ulinzi Warriors this season at their own turf, Ulinzi Complex, in both the home and away encounters. A neutral venue or even hosting them at ANU for the return leg would have been a fair deal. 

The federation should consider using these available facilities for said matches as that would help solve the venue issue being witnessed," offered Oluoch. 

Adopting such a framework would see only Equty Hawks and Dumas, in the top tier leagues, hosting their hone matches at the Nyayo Indoor Arena as the rest of the teams have different facilities they use for training.

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Oluoch, however, intimated that the issue of refeerees jas always been used as the explanation as to why matches are played in one venue. 

More often than not, only six match officials are at Nyayo for a particular match-day, taking charge of up to six matches a day. 

Having the home and away match format adhered to would mean having match officials assigned to all the venues that are hosting matches on a particular day. 

Whether the federation has the capacity to impliment that remains in question.