Kenya 5×5 women's wheelchair basketball national side trounced Liberia 89-2, during their tournament opener at the ongoing 12th edition of the Africa Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Kilamba Municipality, Luanda, Angola, matches played at the Pavilhão Multiuso do Kilamba.
Speaking on Friday right after the final whistle, women's head coach Sarah Libese was upbeat about her charges, praising them for a good start, but wary of champions South Africa and Algeria.
"We have started out well, a morale booster going forward. I thank God everyone is in good shape ahead of tomorrow's second game that will be decided by this evening," said Libese.
"We have a history with South Africa and Algeria; they are big in wheelchair basketball, but here we are, we are attempting to win and qualify for the world championships in Canada, I will give them the fight of their lives," promised coach Libese.
Kenya will play in a round robin format with host nation Angola, DRC, Liberia, South Africa, Morocco, and current Africa champions Algeria, where the winner will book a direct ticket to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation ( IWBF) World Championships in Ottawa, September 2026.
Their male counterparts, Kenya, also opened their campaign against the host nation, Angola at 5:00 pm local time at a fully packed and charged Pavilaho Multiuso do Kilamba, Kenya pushing in the first quarter with all intent to give the home side a run for their money, but lost steam in the second, third and fourth quarter to lose the game 90-23.
Kenya's men are in pool A together with host nation Angola, a tough Senegal side that has eight proffesional players scattered in Milan and France, former men's Africa power house Algeria and a stamina endowed Les Leopard from the mineral rich DRC, but all in all, is the revered Morocco, the North Africans are kings of men's wheelchair basketball in Africa, they dine in their own glory when it comes to that game on wheels.