Defending champions Kenya’s men’s and women’s national basketball teams are set to defend their titles at this year’s FIBA Africa Nations League (FANL) 3×3 Under-23 World Cup qualifiers, scheduled to tip off from June 3-9, 2025, in the West African country of Benin.

Speaking to People Sports on May 18, 2025, Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) First Vice Chairman Hilmi Ali said Kenya’s 3×3 men’s and women’s national teams will fly out of the country next week, on May 31, to compete at the FIBA Africa Nations League 3×3 Basketball Championship, to be held in Cotonou City, Benin.

“Both Kenya’s national men’s and women’s teams, which are the defending champions, will each comprise six players who will take part in the FIBA Africa Nations League 3×3 Basketball Championship, slated to tip off on June 3 and conclude on June 9 in Benin,” Ali said.

Ali disclosed that both the men’s and women’s 3×3 national U-23 teams will start residential camp training today at Strathmore University in Nairobi, in preparation for the championship.

He added that the final national teams to represent Kenya in Benin will be selected and named at the end of the camp. The KBF First Vice Chairman said winners of the FIBA Africa Nations League 3×3 Championship in Benin will qualify to represent Africa at the World Championships.

“The FIBA Africa Nations League 3×3 Championship in Benin is a very important tournament. Winners will qualify for the World Championship, which will be part of the qualification games on the road to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028,” Ali explained.

Ali further stated that the championship is not a typical tournament. During the competition, national teams of each participating country will play six stop games, one game each day. “The one game to be played each day will be a tournament on its own, with a winner. Any of the national teams that wins the most games will qualify for the FIBA 3×3 World Championship, on dates to be announced,” Ali said.

He noted that during the last edition of the FIBA Africa Nations League 3×3 Championship, both Kenya’s national men’s and women’s teams clinched the continental titles and represented Africa at the World Championship held in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia.

He added that other African countries that participated in the World Championship included Uganda and Algeria