Your Weekly Dose of FIBA Africa Zone 5 News: This week's updates include the KBF League playoffs, Ishmail Wainright and Wenyen Gabriel take their talents to Israel, South Sudan's Olympic preparations, and news from Egypt's Men's Premier League A.
Last Updated on
July 12, 2024
Kendi Mwiti
Staff Writer
The Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) league playoffs enter the best-of-five final stage this weekend with the men's clash pitting holders Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) against undefeated Nairobi City Thunder.
KPA's women's team, the silver medalists of the inaugural African Women's Basketball League (AWBL), aim to reclaim their title as they face off against the Equity Bank Hawks. The Hawks made a remarkable comeback to reach the final playoffs, defeating last season's finalists, Zetech Sparks, 3-2 in the semifinals. The men's champion will earn a spot in the Basketball Africa League (BAL), while the women's champion will compete for a place in the successor to the AWBL.
29-year-old American-Ugandan forward Ishmail Wainright has signed with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv for the 2024-2025 season. Wainright will compete in the Israel Basketball Premier League (IBPL) and the BKT EuroCup.
Wainright's professional journey includes stints with the Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA. He also played for the Rip City Remix in the NBA G-League. Before his NBA career, Wainright took his talents to France to play for SIG Strasbourg. Since 2020, he has been a regular call-up for the Ugandan Senior National Team, making significant contributions on the international stage.
His move to Hapoel Tel Aviv marks a new chapter in his career, bringing his experience and versatility to one of Israel's premier basketball clubs.
The University of Texas has bolstered its roster for the 2024-25 season by adding 22-year-old Ugandan-American forward Arthur Kaluma.
Kaluma, who initially declared for the 2024 NBA Draft before withdrawing to retain his NCAA eligibility, is transferring from Kansas State University, where he spent his junior year.
Before his time at Kansas State, Kaluma played at Creighton University from 2021 to 2023. During his tenure at Creighton, he was instrumental in leading the team to the Big East Tournament Semifinals and the NCAA Elite Eight in 2023.
South Sudan's national basketball team, known as the Bright Stars, is intensifying preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics by hosting a training camp in Rwanda at Kigali's BK Arena. This marks a historic moment as the team, under the leadership of head coach Royal Ivey, will make its Olympic debut on July 28th.
The South Sudan Basketball Federation, led by former NBA star and Chicago Bulls player Luol Deng, has played a pivotal role in this achievement. The Bright Stars have been placed in Group C, where they will face formidable opponents: 2023 World Cup runners-up Serbia, 16-time Olympic champions USA, and Puerto Rico. This training camp is a crucial step in their journey as they prepare to compete on the world's biggest stage.
Euroleague giants Maccabi Tel Aviv has signed 27-year-old South Sudanese international center Wenyen Gabriel for the upcoming 2024-2025 season. An experienced player, Gabriel brings a wealth of professional experience from his stints in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans, Boston Celtics, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, and Brooklyn Nets.
He has also played in the NBA G League for the Stockton Kings, Wisconsin Herd, and Erie BayHawks and participated in the NBA Summer League with the Sacramento Kings. Gabriel will join fellow African standout Ishmail Wainright, in Israel after recently signing a deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.
Al Gezira Cairo (Superleague) resigned 28-year-old international guard Waleed Abdelgawad for the upcoming season.
He last played at Zamalek in the Superleague and has been regularly called up to the Egyptian Senior National Team since 2019.
Heliopolis (Superleague) have signed 20-year-old forward Ali Hegazi for the upcoming season. He last played for Zamalek.
He represented Egypt at the FIBA World Cup U19 in Debrecen (Hungary) last year. Aly has played for Al Ahly Cairo before. His team reached the League Semifinals in 2024.
.jpg)
