Kenya’s national women’s 3×3 basketball team clinched a bronze medal finish as the curtains fell on the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League-Africa 1 championship in Benin, even as their male counterparts settled for a disappointing last-place finish in a tournament dominated by East African neighbours Uganda.

According to the conference standings availed to People Sports yesterday by Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) acting president Hilmi Ali, during an interview with the latter while in Benin’s capital, Cotonou, Kenya’s national women’s basketball team was ranked 3rd in the conference standings as the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League-Africa 1 championship concluded on Monday, June 9, 2025.

The conference standings are an accumulation of the total points earned by teams that were competing at the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League-Africa 1 championship across its six stops.

Fiba’s newly structured 3×3 basketball championship, which ended in Benin on June 9, featured six stops (Stop 1 to Stop 6) with each stop played as a standalone tournament.

A winner was declared at each stop based on the team that earned the most points at the end of that day’s tournament.

At the end of the Stop 6 tournament, Kenya’s national women’s 3×3 basketball team had earned a total of 415 tournament points and was ranked 3rd in the competition’s conference standings, behind second-placed Ivory Coast with 470 points and Uganda, who topped the table with 515 points to bag silver and gold medals, respectively.

During the championship’s final Stop 6, Kenya’s national women’s team played two matches and lost both, against Uganda and hosts Benin.

In a closely contested, heart-rending Stop 6 first match against Uganda, which was thrown off at noon on June 9, Kenya narrowly lost 13-14.

However, during the team’s Pool ‘A’ second match of the day, hosts Benin overwhelmed Kenya 14-8.

The team interchangeably featured players Daisy Awino Onyango, Emily Bosibori Ombongi, Everyne Diana, Terence Hil Msimbi Lihanda, Margaret Nerea Ayieko Opondo and Yvette Nyawire Okozi.

Meanwhile, in the men’s category, Kenya’s national team finished as tailenders, placing sixth in the final standings.

They earned a cumulative 340 points, finishing sixth behind hosts Benin, who ranked fifth with 350 points.

Algeria topped the table with 530 points to clinch the gold medal. Ivory Coast placed second with 460 points, followed by Burkina Faso in third with 400 points.

Uganda was ranked fourth, tied with Benin at 350 points, but placed lower on point differential.

The men’s team, which featured Stephen Ndungu Muigai (who plays locally for Eldoret Basketball League’s Only Jesus Christ Saves), Eleman Brian, Sande Rodney and Denis Koja, lost both matches on the final day. They fell 14-18 to Algeria in the first match, which tipped off at 12.25 pm and lost 9-21 to Burkina Faso in their second.

Winners of the championship in both the women’s and men’s categories qualify to represent Africa at the World Cup Championship, scheduled for Xiong’an City, China, from September 17 to 21.