Basketball, Lions in Camp

They are preparing for a tournament in China to run from July 16 to 28.

Players of the national basketball team are in camp at the Yaounde sports complex to prepare for a tournament in China. During the tournament, the basketball Lions will play against five Chinese clubs. So far, only three of the five professionals invited have responded present and three more are expected from France today together with a French coach, Perrain Michel, who will offer a helping hand to the Cameroon basketball federation. They are sorting out visa modalities to China from France before boarding the plane for Cameroon.

According to the coach who will accompany the team for the Chinese expedition, Lumumba Monikang, the tournament is organised by the official sponsor of the basketball national team, Peak, to serve as preparation for the qualifying series for the Africa Cup of Nations in basketball to begin in September. Monikang says he is working on the individual technics of the players and when the other coaches arrive, they will work on tactics. It is worthy to note it is the second time Cameroon is being invited to China for the tournament. Last year the basketball lions were unable to travel because of financial difficulties. The team captain, Gaston Essengue expressed the wish for Cameroon to multiply such initiatives so as to raise the level of Cameroonian basketball.

During the qualifiers, Cameroon will play in zone 4 with opponents such as Gabon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Congo. The best performance of the Cameroon national basketball team was in 2007 when they won the silver medal at the FIBA African championship in Angola.