Defending FIBA Zone Five women’s basketball champions, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), opened their title defense with a dominant 128-36 victory over Ethiopia’s Hawassa City at the Amaan Indoor Arena in Tanzania. KPA, silver medalists of the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA), set the tone early with a 22-point lead in the first quarter, eventually securing a win by commanding margins in each quarter: 32-10, 36-08, 29-06, and 31-12.
Alima Doumbia, a recent KPA signing, led the charge with 24 points and eight assists. She received solid support from Belinda Okoth, who added 19 points and six rebounds, along with double-digit contributions from Grace Irebu and Nkem Akaraiwe, both scoring 18 points. Hilda Indasi and Selina Okumu rounded out the top scorers with 10 and 11 points, respectively.
KPA faces Rwanda’s APR in their final Group B match tonight, seeking a top spot to secure one of the two automatic qualifications for the WBLA Finals in Dakar, Senegal, set for December. The FIBA Zone Five tournament, running until November 2, offers an intense lineup as teams compete for continental advancement.
KPA has strengthened its roster with key international talent, including Nigerian star Nkem Akaraiwe, Beninese Veronica Keita, Côte d’Ivoire’s Doumbia, and Rwandan Chantal Kiyobe, formerly of Zetech Sparks in Kenya.
In Group C, Kenya’s Equity Hawks defeated Burundi’s Gladiators 73-57, following up with a narrow 86-73 loss to Rwanda’s REG. The Hawks face Tanzania’s Fox Divas on Tuesday in a bid to progress.
