Tough lessons for basketball teams
Dumisani Ncube | Friday November 3, 2017 10:59
The tournament attracted teams from southern African countries, and it was basketball powerhouses, Angola and Mozambique that dominated. Feroviaro de Maputo topped the women’s standings, with 1* de Agosto finishing second while Libolo and Inter Clube took the top two positions in the men’s section.
Local side, Police V are the only team to win a game after beating Zimbabwe’s Lakers.
“After finishing fifth, I think we did quite well, our goal was to make it to the semi finals. We expected high levels of competition. With our performance, I guess we represented the country well and we will do better in the upcoming matches,” Police V coach, James Kalebwe said. He said facing professional sides was always going to be a challenge, which will help teams grow and be more competitive. “I am impressed with the way my girls played. Most of them are under 20 years with little experience. We look forward to applying some of the skills and techniques in our next assignments,” BDF V coach, Israel Mphato said.
It is reported that one of the BDF V players, Orapeleng Leagajang, attracted the eye of Feroviaro de Maputo.
“There has not been any formal communication from any teams or scouts that have shown interest in our players. I am sure they will communicate. I will be very pleased to see some of my players play abroad. It will be a good development for the local basketball fraternity,” Mphato said.
However, attendance was a concern and Botswana Basketball Association (BBA) public relations officer, Thabang Maranyane blamed the midweek scheduling of games.
He also said there are stereotypes around basketball. “We are on a mission to sensitise people about the sport around the country. We have already started through hosting tournaments around the country,” Maranyane said.