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Tough draw for African teams as StarTimes set to air 2019 FIBA World Cup

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The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, to be hosted in China’s eight cities from 31
August to 15 September, will be exclusively broadcast by leading digital television giant – StarTimes across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The spectacle will feature 32 teams for the first time, having previously comprised 24 teams.

The draw, witnessed by more than 8,000 spectators, took place Saturday 16 March in Shenzhen, China with NBA stars Kobe Bryant and home boy Yao Ming, stealing the show.

Host China will play in Group A against Venezuela, Poland and Cote d’Ivoire; with Group B having Africa’s best and world number 33, Nigeria, drawing South America’s finest in Argentina, Russia and Korea.

Senegal drew one of the toughest groups on paper with Australia, Lithuania and
Canada.

Angola will have to be at its best against World number 4 Serbia, Italy and Philippines in Group D.

The United States, the defending champion, will begin with matchups against Turkey,
the Czech Republic and Japan in Group E.

World’s second-ranked Spain will meet
Puerto Rico, Iran and Tunisia in Group C. France drew the Dominican Republic,
Germany and Jordan in Group G.

Author

Milton Nyakundi

Milton Nyakundi is a veteran multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience across broadcast, digital, and print media, who relocated to the United States in 2022 and is now the Senior International Correspondent for Kurunzi News based in Washington, DC, USA. He has previously worked with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), among other high-profile roles with Kenya's first privately-owned media outlet - Kenya Television Network. His experience also include prominent roles as Media Consultant for Football Kenya Federation (FKF), and StarTimes Kenya. His career spans high‑stakes political reporting covering legislative and constitutional issues, elections, governance, and accountability across Kenya, Africa, and global arenas. He also boasts extensive sports journalism experience, covering local and international sports events, including leagues, tournaments and sports governance. He is well-known for his investigative depth, editorial leadership, and evidence-driven journalism that guides his consistent delivery of public‑interest storytelling across platforms.

View all posts by Milton Nyakundi

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