KBF League MVP eyes glory on the international stage

As Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) were crowned Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league champions, shooting guard Ken Wachira received his biggest accolade locally so far, the MVP gong. 

To be named the Most Valuable Player for a team of KPA's stature and in a league playoff that proved extremely competitive, Wachira believes it was a reward for his hard work behind the scenes. 

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The player says he is open to getting a chance to represent the country on the international stage. He has previously been included in a provisional squad but did not make the final list, something that made the 27-year-old feel his chance was blown. 

"It was a humbling moment to be named MVP. This means hard work is truly rewarding. I have spent countless hours in the gym and on the court getting better at what I do. 

Being based in Nairobi and playing for a Mombasa-based side means alot of the time the onus is on me to train on my own and I have always made sure to keep at it. This award serves to motivate me to work even harder for better things to come," said an elated Wachira. 

While he admits that the MVP award came as a surprise, Wachira who helped the dockers book a ticket to the next Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers says playing at the continental league was his biggest push to playing his heart out for the championship. 

Wachira was part of the KPA squad that played in the qualifiers to the inaugural BAL but off-the-court issues denied the Sammy Kiki-led side a chance to fight for the ticket as they issued a walkover in the final round of qualification that saw them eliminated in the group stage. 

"All I wanted was to book that ticket for a chance to be at BAL. I have played in the qualifiers before but this time we will strive to be in the main event, rubbing shoulders with the best in Africa and beyond," added the ambitious Wachira. 

His coach, Kiki, says the accolade did not come as a surprise to him. Like a proud father, the tactician reiterates that Wachira's achievement is a result of hard work behind the scenes. 

"Since the playoffs began, he has been outstanding. There was not a day that he was not igniting the rest of the players on and off the court. Of course, he is a team player but his contributions were immense. From the three matches we played in Mombasa during the semis, he was at his peak. We had to put in alot of work in training with him and from the friendly matches we had prior to the final, it was evident he, alongside the other young players, was going to be an integral part of how we perform. Their speed won it for us," Kiki said.

This is the first KBF championship for Wachira who joined the league in 2018 with a short stint for Nairobi City Thunder before switching allegiance to Mombasa.