BULAWAYO Basketball Association (BBA) has selected 10 clubs to represent the province at the national basketball club championships to be hosted by Mutare from April 3 to 5.
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Selection was done using the league matches that were played by various clubs at the Bulawayo municipalities BBA secretary-general Howard Phangwana confirmed the clubs yesterday.
“Five men and five women’s clubs will be representing Bulawayo at the national tournament and we have selected Mavericks, Highlanders, Oilers, Nust, Giants for men and Lakers Juniors, Lakers Seniors, Southern Mavericks, Highlanders and Angels for the women,” Phangwana said.
“We are sending very competitive teams to Mutare as you know last year Southern Mavericks were number four and Lakers were good although they lost in the quarter-finals. I believe Southern Mavericks men will do well. In their last performance in Harare they lost in the finals. If we are to go by that same performance and train harder I am optimistic they will do well.”
Basketball Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Joe Mujuru said six provinces had confirmed participation in the two-day tournament.
“We expect all provinces to provide clubs for the competitions and so far Manicaland, Harare, the Midlands, Bulawayo, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West have confirmed taking part,” Mujuru said.
Meanwhile, on Saturday Gifford hosted the fourth series of the Bulawayo Under-14 boys’ basketball National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) top school qualifiers tournament where Nkulumane were selected to represent the province.
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Nkulumane beat Petra 23-7 and St Columba’s defeated Gifford 15-5 in the semi-finals. Nkulumane then beat St Columba’s 30-9 in the final.
Munyaradzi Majaba was the top scorer with 24 points.
Tournament director Mthulisi Makhosana said they were hopeful Nkulumane would do well.
“The tournament was a success and eight schools took part,” he said.
“Now the teams will all be training in preparation for the Under-14 nationals that will be hosted by Mosi oa Tunya High School in Victoria Falls from July 31 to August 1. Nkulumane represented Bulawayo at the nationals last year and we believe this year they will do well.”
Milton will represent Bulawayo in the Under-20 category at the nationals at Cornway College in Mashonaland West from September 25 to 26.
