Vikapu Elite Basketball Academy proud of their own that is making strides in Africa

As part of FIBA’s plan to enhance awareness, detect talent and introduce development programs in basketball all over the African continent, Kenyan young talent Nissi Mayaka is a shining light for her basketball academy, Vikapu Elite, after punching her way through to the FIBA Regional Youth Camp held last week in Saly, Senegal.

With Nairobi and Saly being host destinations, FIBA in 2021 introduced the FIBA Africa Youth camps, which came a year after the advent of the FIBA National Youth Camp programmes. The main reason for their commissioning was to offer national federations opportunities to sample talent and conduct coach training, all in the aim of growing and developing basketball across Africa.

Following the first editions of the National Youth camps in eight different African countries early February and March this year, the stage was set for the best African talents gracing the FIBA Africa Regional Youth Camps spread across Madagascar, Senegal and Morocco in October.

Unlike other camps, Saly would offer the first all-girls Youth camp featuring Kenya’s Nissi Mayaka together with a host of 44 other participants from 15 countries in Africa. The key agenda, in addition to developing basketball skills, being around educating the girls on matters of hygiene, education and other subjects affecting the African girl child as well explained by FIBA coach Christelle N’Garsanet.

Among those proud of Mayaka’s progress is her coach, and one of the lead coaches at the Nairobi-based Vikapu Elite Basketball Academy Zedekiah Ong’ang’a Otieno.

“This is not only a big step for us (Vikapu Elite), but a proud moment for the country. We haven’t taken part in such camps for a while, and getting a representative can only mean that we are treading in the right direction,” coach Zedekiah Otieno told Mozzart Sport.

“Her participation is part of the learning curve to bagging more opportunities to become better. Being a leader, she expresses herself well both on and off the court and her age is just perfect for even greater development,” Otieno spoke in glowing terms about the young 15-year old.

With the camp having concluded over the weekend, Otieno is hopeful that Mayaka’s exploits will pave the way for more efforts towards youth basketball as well as more local coaches spearheading the nurturing process.

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“Other countries have up to four participants in these regional camps. This should act as a message that we need to cover the existing gap by having a bigger pool of talent to select from. We, coaches, also have to create a culture around the sport for its betterment. Coaches abroad have doctorates and masters, this helps them to not only expand their sports knowledge but to also understand and break down the issues that arise every day, further impacting players from a different perspective,” he added.

It is Zedekiah Otieno’s prayer that just as in Mayaka’s case, the trend towards parents allowing and accommodating their children to engage in sporting activities will change for the better.

For Nissi Mayaka, her hope is to make the cut for the African team in the Basketball Without Borders development program involving top NBA and WNBA coaches and future Junior NBA opportunities.