The Red Bull Half-Court Basketball Tournament is set to kick off with the first qualifier taking place on the 15th of April at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa. The tournament, organized by Red Bull in partnership with the Kenya Basketball Federation, will see participants square off in a 3×3 half-court format. The winners will earn a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent Kenya at the World Finals in Cairo, Egypt in October this year.
The 2022 edition of the tournament has seen the addition of Mombasa and Kisumu as host cities of the qualifiers in a bid to find the best players in the country. The first qualifier kicks off in Mombasa before making a stopover at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground in Kisumu on the 29th of April. Nairobi will play host to the third qualifier on May 13th at the University of Nairobi. The national finals will then take place in Nairobi on May 28th.
On the sidelines of the tournament lovers of hip hop, fashion, and street art will get an opportunity to participate in engaging activities as they cheer their favorite teams. As part of promoting the culture of street art in the host cities, 11 basketball courts in 7 countries got a facelift in the 2021 edition.
Last year, Team Nameless emerged the winners of the inaugural edition after beating Team Buccaneers in a hotly contested national final, while in the women’s category Team Dynamite managed to fend off a tough challenge from Team Cheetah ladies team.
Commenting on the partnership with Red Bull, Kenya Basketball Federation Vice-Chair, Mr. Hilmi Ali, said the tournament was a step in the right direction to developing 3X3 basketball in the country.
“Red Bull is a youthful and energetic brand which is what 3×3 basketball is all about. This competition will be an opportunity for us to improve our talent spotting and increase player engagement with this exciting format of basketball which is now an Olympic sport”
Reflecting on his participation in the 2021 edition of Red Bull Half Court, Derrick Olang Captain, Team Nameless (2021 men’s category winners) said the tournament was a great opportunity for him and his team members to sharpen their 3×3 basketball skills.