BULAWAYO Basketball Association (BBA) will host a three-day inter-provincial basketball tournament that starts on Friday and ends on Sunday at the Bulawayo Courts for the Disabaled. Ronald Moyo Sports Reporter
BBA secretary-general Howard Phangwana said all has been set for the competition.
The annual tournament that usually features the Under-22 and the senior basketball teams from the country’s provinces changed its format this year as the Under-22 tournament will be replaced by the Under-20s.
Phangwana said Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (BUZ) deliberately replaced the Under-22 with the Under-20 as they want to select the national team for the Regional V Under-20 Youth Games to be hosted by Bulawayo in December.
He said they approached Bulawayo City Council for the venue and they were offered BCD for the event while Evelyn Girls High and Northlea High School will provide accommodation for the teams.
“We are going to host the tournament as BUZ gave us this opportunity and responsibility.
“We are almost done with the preparations as we approached the council and they are renovating BCD for the tournament. Evelyn and Northlea High school will accommodate the teams. This year BUZ replaced the Under-22 with the Under-20 because we want to prepare a national team that will compete in the Regional V Youth games in December,” Phangwana said.
He said BBA has selected the technical staff to take charge of the Bulawayo teams and they were busy trying to come up with their squads for the tournament.
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Admos Ndlovu of Nkulumane Stars assisted by Charmaine Chirinda, will take charge of the Under-20 girls team while Porcia Dube will be team manager.
The Under-20 boys team will be under the guidance of Highlanders player-coach Steward Woods. Ihlathi Hawks coach Lucky Masuku is the assistant coach while Mayibongwe Ncube has been tasked to manage the team.
Southern Mavericks assistant coach Sam Mutsvanga has been appointed head coach of the women’s senior team and will be assisted by Roy Sikwila the Highlanders women’s team head coach while Lakers’ Orissa Ndebele will be the team manager. Lakers and national team point guard Geraldine Chibonda is one of the senior women players expected to make it to the team.
The senior men’s team will be under the mentorship of Thokozani Sigola assisted by Liberty Nyathi, a player coach for Giants.
“We have tasked the technical team to work on team selections and by the end of today (yesterday) they should be having final lists for the players so that teams start training today at Evelyn. I would also like to say we are hosting this tournament on behalf of Bulawayo, so we are expecting to see people coming in numbers to watch the matches,” he added.
