Kenya’s basketball playoffs Premier League winners and the country’s maiden representatives to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers, Nairobi City Thunder, have signed three professional players in preparation for BAL.
The new signings include Kenyan Denmark Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Tarlor Ongwae and Spain-based Kenyan player Derrick Ogechi. This was disclosed yesterday by Nairobi City Thunder’s assistant team manager, Bernet Ojay, in an interview with People Sport.
Ojay revealed that Thunder, who won this year’s Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Premier League play-offs against defending champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), has signed three professional players, including Ongwae and Ogechi, as they prepare for their maiden BAL competition as Kenya’s representatives.
According to details provided to People Sport by Ojay, Ongwae, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall, has played professional basketball in various countries, including New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, the USA, Denmark and Ivory Coast. He recently won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award in the Danish Basketligaen (Danish Basketball League).
“In Denmark, where Ongwae has recently been plying his trade, he won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award. His wealth of experience and proven track record make him a valuable addition to Thunder,” Ojay noted.
In a separate interview, Thunder’s General Manager Kooshin Diriye stated, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Ongwae to the Nairobi City Thunder family. His skills, leadership and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our team’s values.
We believe he will be a key contributor as we pursue our goal of becoming the first Kenyan team to qualify for the BAL qualifiers and achieve success in the Kenya Basketball Federation.
” He further expressed his enthusiasm about joining Thunder, saying, “I am honoured to have the opportunity to play for the reigning KBF champions in my home country. I am eager to contribute to the team’s winning culture and bring my best to every game. I share the team’s ambition to make history at the highest level in Africa.”
Ojay also mentioned that last Friday, Thunder signed Kenyan Spain-based professional player Ogechi and one local-based player, Eugene Adera, who previously played for Equity in the KBF Premier League
