Kenya’s Under-23 national 3×3 basketball teams departed at the eleventh hour today aboard Turkish Airlines for the Fiba World Cup in Mongolia, with the women’s team scheduled to face Poland and host Mongolia tomorrow.

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) secretary-general Angela Luchivya shared with People Sport the details of the national men’s and women’s basketball teams’ contingent for the World Cup in Mongolia, including the travel schedule and the team’s final home training session before their departure.

According to the KBF program, the national men’s and women’s teams held their final training sessions at Strathmore University courts as recently as yesterday, in preparation for the Fiba World Cup in Mongolia.

Luchivya disclosed that Team Kenya will face off against hosts Mongolia tomorrow at 4.30 pm local time.

The Fiba World Cup fixtures indicate that the women’s team will also play against Poland on the same day.

Luchivya revealed that the national teams’ contingent for the World Cup comprises four male players, coached by Tonny Ochieng’, and a similar number of female players, coached by Eunice Ouma.

Accompanying the teams are team doctor Tony Ndeda and physiotherapist Lillian Adhiambo.

The men’s team players are David Gichohi from Vikapu Elite Academy, Elisha Odhiambo of KBF men’s premier league club Ulinzi Warriors, Jackson Waweru, and Denis Koja, both from premier side Strathmore Blades.

The women’s team players include MaryLisa Omondi from KBF’s premier side United States International University (USIU), Barbra Achieng’ from premier club Storms, Emily Bosibori from Stanbic Aces, and Kenyan international Judith Omedi, who plays in Thailand.

According to the Fiba World Cup fixtures shared with People Sport, the women’s team will face Israel on Friday before concluding their group-stage matches against Germany on the same day.

The men’s team will open their campaign against Latvia on Thursday, September 12, followed by a match against Chile.

On Saturday, the men’s team will face the USA and defending champions Lithuania.

Kenya earned a wild card to compete in the World Cup following the disruption of the country’s opportunity to host the Fiba 3×3 Youth Nations League Africa-1 (YNLA-1) conference qualifiers in Mombasa, from July 1 through 8, due to the unexpected pro-good governance protests by Gen-Z across the country.

The other African nation awarded a wild card to compete in the Fiba World Cup is Egypt, based on Fiba’s cut-off considerations.

Egypt received the wild card due to being the highest-ranked basketball nation in Africa and its inability to participate in the disrupted YNLA-1 that Kenya was set to host.

The YNLA-1 in Mombasa was to feature Algeria, Benin, Tunisia, and Uganda.