Sibonokuhle Mboni
THE Bulawayo Basketball Association (BBA) will bounce off its 2026/27 season this weekend with a pre-season tournament.
Action is expected at Bulawayo Club of the Disabled this Saturday and Sunday.
The tournament has attracted teams from Harare and Gweru and that will certainly give the tournament something to fight for.
BBA secretary-general Tinotenda Gumbo said all clubs had started training and were eager for the new campaign which the association hopes will be better than last season’s.
“We are expecting a bigger, better league, a competitive one. All the teams have started their training and they are eager to start the league starting with the pre-season tournament,” said Gumbo.
However, the association is battling to raise funds. Gumbo said they had written to several companies but were yet to land an official sponsor leaving the BBA reliant on affiliation fees from teams, many of which are funded from individuals’ own pockets.
“We’re running on zero budget. We are appealing to corporates to partner with us so that we can have prize money and lessen the burden on the teams so that as a league we are able to cover some of the expenses like referees’ fees and venues,” he said.
Gumbo said sponsorship avenues were the association’s biggest challenge while the rules for the new season remain unchanged.
The elite league has two new entrants. Catch them Young have joined the men’s division, while Hillside Teachers’ College have joined the women’s elite league.
Defending champions Southern Mavericks are expected to be the team to beat, while Lakers are recruiting a number of players, with veterans also in the mix.
The elite league comprises six men’s and six women’s teams. The B league has eight men’s and six women’s teams, while the developmental C league, made up of schools has eight boys’ and eight girls’ teams.
Gumbo said the C league was crucial in preparing young players for the main leagues, adding that sport also kept young people busy, fit and mentally sharp which helped with school work and kept them away from drugs and early pregnancies.
The BBA is also hoping to be awarded the tender for the BCD Courts, which Bulawayo City Council has opened to bidders.
“We are hoping that City Council will hear our plea and award us that tender as an association so that we can have access to BCD 24-7. Our kids can have access to BCD whenever they want. This will help us even to cut costs for our teams and help develop the sport,” said Gumbo.
The association also hopes to take games to communities such as Nkulumane, but Gumbo said this was not yet certain.
The pre-season tournament is the final tune-up before the league starts on 23 October, with fixtures due on 19 October.
