NAIROBI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's basketball head coach Ronnie Owino says Kenya have a chance to revive their prospects in women basketball should they win the African Games Zone Five qualifiers set for June 26 to July 1 in Kampala, Uganda.
Kenya at the moment lacks in height of quality players but Owino says they will supplement that with quick and fast paced basketball in Kampala.
Kenya is up against giants Egypt, hosts Uganda, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and South Sudan.
"We have a talented team and we must use them to our advantage. It will be hard to get the ticket to the Africa Games and the players must put in their best show," said Owino on Saturday in Nairobi.
Egypt starts as the favorites but Owino has warned of Rwanda's charge and their towering figures which dwarf many of the opponents in the region.
The coach has recalled two-foreign based players in the provisional women team that have been undergoing rigorous training in Nairobi in preparation for the tournament.
They are America based Felmas Adhiambo and Seychelles-based Vilma Achieng.
"They will be the steel around which we will anchor our game. The average players will be confident to have the two in the team and hope they will work hard to win," he said.
According to Owino, the team will be whittled down to 12 players ahead of the qualifiers that will feature all the Zone Five nations, namely Egypt, Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Only one qualification slot is available for the men and women's competition. The Africa Games will be held in Rabat, Morocco in August.
Kenya men's team head coach Cliff Owuor has also summoned his team to training in Nairobi hoping they will peak at the right time to win the zonal ticket and return to the Africa Games after missing out in the 2015 edition in Brazzaville, Congo.
