adminSports Correspondent
THE national basketball team has been dropped from Team Zimbabwe’s contingent for the African Games set to run from September 4-19 in Congo Brazzaville. The basketball team was one of the country’s medal prospects for the games, but were dropped due to logistical complications ranging from the team’s involvement in the upcoming Afro-Basketball Championships and lack of resources.
The Afro-Basketball Championships would be held in the Tunisian capital Tunis from August 19-30 and the winners will qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Zimbabwe qualified for both the Afro-Basketball Championships and African Games in February by coming second in their qualification group, which included Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and powerhouse Angola.
Zimbabwe defeated neighbours South Africa 66-64 in the semi-final of the qualification stage before losing 50-98 to Angola in the final held in Bulawayo.
The team is in Germany preparing for the Afro-Basketball Championships after being invited to the Hamburg Basketball Association tournament that started on July 31 and ends on August 17.
Team Zimbabwe publicity manager Dave Simba said they had decided to release the basketball team from the travelling party after considering a number of issues.
“There were many factors that we looked at and the first is financial. We don’t have a lot in our budget and the team is also committed elsewhere at the moment and that gave us a lot of problems with organising the kit and the accreditation. We spoke to their president and he had no problem,” said Simba.
Other Zimbabwean medal prospects that will not make the continental games include the injured United States-based sprinting duo of Gabriel Mvumvure and Ngoni Makusha.
Online Reporter