All set for Khanyisile basketball tournament

BULAWAYO Basketball Association (BBA) secretary general, Francis Dube, says its all systems go ahead of the Khanyisile Basketball tournament, which gets underway on Friday.

Khanyisile Sports Centre will be the venue for the three-day tournament themed “Dunk the Drugs Out,”
The tournament brings together all the top teams in the country.

The women’s draw for the competition saw UZ Sparks get a Group A placing where they will face Black Rhinos and Lakers Mzansi while group B consists of Vixens, Bulawayo City Towers and MSU
The men’s draw has Black Rhinos, Legends, Warriors, Mbare Bulls in Group A with Group B having Young Starz, MSU, Harare Kings and Giants.

Dube says it’s all systems go ahead of the tournament.

“This is one of our flagship competitions at BBA and we are looking forward to this year’s edition. We have the top teams in the country coming to take part and we expect this to be a highly contested meet. We are really excited with the response we have got from the teams,” said Dube.

Basketball once thrived in Bulawayo, particularly among youth in the 1980s and 1990s. However, internal issues led to its decline.

The sport’s resurgence, fuelled by events like the pre-season tournaments and Khanyisile Basketball tournament, rekindles passion among young people.

After years of abandoned player development initiatives, departing players and folded teams, the game is being rediscovered.

Dilapidated courts are a reminder of past struggles, but recent events spark hope for a renewed interest in basketball.

Women’s draw
Group A: UZ Sparks, Black Rhinos, Lakers Mzansi
Group B: Vixens, Bulawayo City Towers, MSU
The men’s draw:
Group A: Black Rhinos, Legends, Warriors, Mbare Bulls
Group B: Young Starz, MSU, Harare Kings, Giants
— @innocentskizoe