Warriors' title defence begins without dependable players

Ulinzi Warriors are looking to retain the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league title they won in 2019 as the playoffs begin on Saturday 22 January. 

The military side travels to Kisumu where they face Lakeside in Game One of the best-of-three quarters and concluded the series in Nairobi the following weekend for a chance to reach the semis. 

However, their campaign has been dealt a blow as sources privy to the team's happenings confirmed to Mozzart Sport that five of their players who are not part of the forces have not been training with the team and will miss the trip to Kisumu. 

The five are Ancet Wafula who joined from Thunder at the beginning of the 2021 season, Joseph Khaemba who joined from the now defunct Co-operative Bank Spartans in 2019 and the trio of Valentine Nyakinda, Victor Bosire and James Mwangi who were part of the title-winning Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) squad in 2018 before joining Warriors in 2019, with an exception of Nyakinda who joined in 2021.

The five are rumoured to be disgruntled following events that saw them miss the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers trip to Johannesburg where the military side was eliminated in the group stage. 

Reports indicate that the team's approval to travel to South Africa, at the hight of Omicron, was delayed and in the end, only the players with Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) service numbers were allowed to travel. 

In an arrangement with the South African military forces, the players did not require Visas to travel and that forced the five, alongside other players who had been brought in to strengthen the squad,to sit out as their Visas required five working days to process while the trip was approved three days to the travel date. 

Coach William Balozi will now have to use the same squad he paraded in Johannesburg with the exception of Stephan Simiyu who turns up for KDF Morans in the local league. 

While steering clear of the subject of the five players' exit, Balozi, in an interview with Mozzart Sport says he has full confidence in his squad as currently constituted. 

"They have not been in training so I am banking on the players that have been in training," he offered. "While they have been an integral part of the team, I am.confident my players will give their all and fight for that title beginning this weekend in Kisumu. We have prepared, fully aware Lakeside are no push-overs, and are ready for battle." 

The champions will also be missing the services of three-man turned centre player Antonio Bwire who is bereaved while former skipper John Washika is still nursing a knee injury sustained during the team's trip away in Dar es Salaam for the BAL first round qualification.