JKT face setback in BAL qualifiers
COAST REGION: TANZANIA’S JKT basketball team had a challenging start to their Basketball Africa League (BAL) Season 5 qualifiers, suffering an 83-60 defeat to Urunani BBC of Burundi.
The Road to BAL Qualifiers 2025 East Division match was held at the Filbert Bayi Indoor Stadium in Kibaha, Coast Region on Wednesday night. Host nation club JKT struggled against the wellorganised Urunani BBC, which included several key players from the Burundi national basketball team.
Adding to JKT’s difficulties was the absence of one of their key player and team captain, Baraka Sadick, who was side-lined with an injury sustained during the Basketball Dar es Salaam League (BDL) quarter-finals.
He was in the team lineup and warm up before the game, but couldn’t see a minute at the match watching his teammates strangling. JKT Coach Christian Mwakingili confirmed that Sadick’s participation in the tournament was uncertain, pending a medical evaluation.
“It’s true we missed Sadick due to injury and we’re unsure whether he will be available for the selection in coming matches. Our team doctor is assessing his condition and we hope to have him back when he’s fully fit,” said Mwakingili.
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Despite this setback, Mwakingili acknowledged the strong defensive performance of the Burundian team, making it difficult for JKT to execute their game plan.
“It was a bitter testing for us. Their defence was strong and taller and we had a shaky start. But it’s only the beginning and we’re determined to bounce back. We have a plan for the upcoming matches, starting with Thursday night’s game against GNBC from Madagascar,” he added.
Urunani BBC dominated from the start, building a commanding 43-24 lead at halftime after winning the first two quarters 25-9 and 18-15. JKT’s best scorers, Omary Ndula and Mhagachi Marwa, contributed 20 and 14 points, each respectively.
However, Urunani’s Jean-Bocquis Boissy was the standout player, finishing with an impressive 37 points. The Burundian team maintained their momentum in the third quarter, outscoring JKT 26-14. While JKT rallied in the final quarter, winning it 22-14, their efforts were not enough to turn the game around. Coast Regional Administrative Secretary Rashid Mchatta, who attended as the evening’s chief guest, offered words of encouragement to the JKT team.
“Forget about today’s result and get ready for the next game. I believe you are a strong team and capable, you still have a chance to advance,” said Mchata, who was accompanied by the Region’s Sports Officer, Grace Bureta.
