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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
EIGHT men’s and an equal number of women’s sides from across Southern Africa are set to size up each other in the returning Harare Mayor’s Cheer Fund basketball tourney to be staged at the City Sports Centre from October 18.
Preparations for the event, which was last held in Zimbabwe in 2017, are at an advanced stage with outdoor courts under construction at the City Sports Centre while the main arena is also undergoing massive refurbishment.
The hoops jamboree will also fine-tune the clubs that will participate in the Basketball Africa League qualifiers to be held later this year.
The competition is also designed to raise funds for the underprivileged members of the community with this year’s event targeting to put together US$60 000.
Competition organising committee chairman Sani Mbofana, a veteran basketball administrator yesterday said the preparations for the event are going on well.
“I am honoured to announce the return of the Mayor’s Cheer Fund Basketball tournament to be played between 18-20 October at the City Sports Centre in Harare.
“The event is intended to raise at least US$60 000 to help underprivileged members of the society as well as take kids out of drugs and other societal ills,” said Mbofana.
“It has been years since the same tournament was held in Harare and its return has reignited the passion for the hoops in the country and the region.
“We will have eight ladies’ teams and as many men’s clubs battling it out for the ultimate prize. The teams will also use this contest to prepare for the qualification for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) to be held later on in the year.”
Mbofana said two of the most outstanding basketball players in the country Tatenda Maturure and Patience Chinhoyi will be honoured during the event.
The duo who during their fine careers also featured for Harare City Hornets, was voted the MVPs of the decade from 2011-2021 and they will be immortalised during the tournament.
Some clubs expected to participate in the tournament from this country include national ladies’ champions UZ Sparks as well as Harare Basketball Association League Kings JBC and their Bulawayo counterparts Lakers Mzansi.
Other participants will be drawn from Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Eswatini, and Namibia among other countries.
Harare City Hornets won gold in the last edition with Lusaka City of Zambia taking home the silver medals while South Africa’s Weekend Squad were the winners in the women’s section with Brave Hearts of Malawi the silver medallists.
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