Oketcho eyes fifth basketball title

By Usher Komugisha

Saturday: Finals, Game 1

Women

Lady Canons v Leopards-6pm

Men

Division 1

Warriors  v Power -8pm

Division 2

Rez Life  v Vegetarians -4pm

Division 3

Bushcourt v City Oil -2pm

KCC Leopards’ Flavia Oketcho has only lost once in the FUBA playoff finals and that was six years ago. But the UCU Lady Canons pose yet another credible threat to her stunning record in this year’s women’s play-off final series starting Saturday.

That Oketcho has been the defining moment for her side at all the avenues that her side has won is but an understatement of what she is capable of doing.

Twice with the Lady Bucks in 2004 and 2006, the Lady Canons(2008) and with the Leopards in 2009, she has inspired her teammates to lift the prestigious trophies respectively. 

“Both teams (UCU and KCC) have great match-ups when you look at the players but our confidence from playing at this year’s Zone V club championships will give us an edge over the Canons,” explained an expectant Oketcho.

Oketcho’s good decision-making will be in check by UCU’s Brenda Mbone and the reigning league MVP Maureen Amoding. But can the Lady Canons manipulate their strength at the front court to stop KCC’s Martha Soigi?

Colleagues on the national netball team to the London 2012 Olympics, Peace Proscovia and Soigi will put aside their friendship to fight for a national title in the best-of-seven series.

Soigi will have to contend with Canons Kenyan duo of three-time league top scorer Lorraine Akinyi and former APR forward Purity Odhiambo who have dominated the boards all season long.

“We want to come out strong in the series and take a game at a time because we know that KCC is also a good team,” explained Akinyi.