Kenya’s men’s 3×3 basketball team shook off previous defeats to register their first victory of the 2026 Commonwealth Games at the SEC Centre in Glasgow on Monday, delivering an emphatic 22–12 victory over Jamaica.
Following an opening day marked by three tough setbacks, head coach Sylvia Kamau’s tactical adjustments and mental conditioning paid off, helping the team regain form and confidence on the international stage.
Tactical Rebound and Team Effort
Reflecting on the victory, Coach Sylvia Kamau credited the team’s improved focus on both defensive intensity and offensive fluidity.
“The game was good. We worked on a couple of things: one, we worked on our defense and our quickness. We didn’t slack off on the quickness from the first few games, so we kept it up. Secondly, we’ve worked on our offensive strategy. If you look at today’s scoring, everybody was able to contribute to the scoring or to the assisting of it, which we kind of lacked in the previous games,” she said.
Kamau highlighted standout performances across the roster, emphasizing key individual contributions that elevated the squad’s performance: “What we talked about yesterday—we had some video sessions—for me it worked, and I’m a very happy coach. Big moves from Rodney, from David… absolutely great.”
Addressing the pressure of competing before a roaring crowd at the SEC Centre, Coach Kamau acknowledged the trial by fire that comes with international 3×3 basketball, where experience and constant match play are critical.
“That’s a challenge we both share; we are not exposed to a lot of international games, especially in 3×3. 3×3 is built on playing a lot… especially playing a lot in such a crowd.”
“This is a very huge crowd, very huge stage. None of them has played the Commonwealth Games—this is the first time, so they all have the jitters of being on a big stage.”
Eyes on the Quarter-Finals
With their first win secured, the focus shifts immediately to their remaining fixtures as the team aims to secure a quarter-final birth.
“The next game we must win so that we can draw ourselves to two wins. We’re playing Fiji, another tough team, but I think we are up to task.”
Flexing her arms in celebration at the conclusion of the session, a smiling Kamau made her team’s ambitions clear: “Kenya all the way!”