Zetech-Titans-advance-to-basketball-playoffs. [Photo/http://zetech.ac.ke]
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Premier League play-offs will finally tip off with the best of three quarterfinals at the Africa Nazarene University Grounds away from its traditional Nyayo Stadium Gymnasium venue which is currently undergoing renovation.KBF had the challenge finding a suitable venue following the closure of the Nyayo Stadium a move that has also occasioned delay in the start of the playoffs with fears of the season extending into next year.Former champions Ulinzi Warriors have been drawn against Nairobi City Thunder in the quarter-finals and will battle it out in Game One and Two this weekend. Straight wins for either of the two sides will see them through to the semi-finals on a 2-0 aggregate and Game Three forfeited since its outcome will be inconsequential.Warriors and Thunder are familiar nemeses having met at the semi-finals last year with the soldiers emerging the winners to proceed to the finals while the self-sponsored side was forced to contend with position four. Buoyed by a strong playing unit Ulinzi coach William Balozi is a confident man ahead of the showdown even as they hope to reclaim the title from reigning champions Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).“Thunder is a good team worth reckoning with the threat they portend to our quest to lift the title but am optimistic we have what it takes to emerge winners and qualify to the next stage,” he said.Both Blades and Tigers were edged out at the quarterfinals stage last year. In the only women Premier League play-off encounter, Zetech University Sparks will face off the Co-operative Bank Kingdom Queens in Game 1 and 2. Other teams will wait until Equity Bank and KPA return from the Africa Women Champions Cup that is ongoing in Luanda Angola where the two sides represented Zone Five.