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THE Bulawayo Basket Association (BBA) will on Saturday hold its pre-season tournament at Khanyisile Sports Centre with over 10 teams expected to take part ahead of the start of the new season on 13 October.
BBA’s marketing officer Francis Dube said while the pre-season contest would see both male and female Bulawayo club affiliates take part. They had also sent invites to outfits based in Harare, Matabeleland North and Midlands.
“Our pre-season tournament is set for 6 October. This is in preparation for the Bulawayo Basketball League kickoff that is scheduled for 13 October. For the pre-season tournament we have sent invites to various clubs based in Harare, Matabeleland North and Midlands,” said Dube.
Bulawayo-based clubs that are going to take part are Southern Mavericks ( men and women), Highlanders (men and women), Nust (men and women), Lupane State University, Divas, Angels, City Knights, Giants, and Oilers.
Giants are the BBA defending champions in the men’s category while Southern Mavericks conquered all and sundry in the women’s competition last season.
Dube said their league would take a two weeks break to pave way for the forthcoming 24th edition of the Zone Six basketball club championships that will run from 19 to 29 October.
The tournament will be held at ZITF Hall 3 and will involve clubs from Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho and eSwatini.
At the Zone Six event, Zimbabwe will be represented by Lakers (women), Vixens Foxes and Harare City Hornets.
The general manager of the local organising committee of the tournament, Sikhumbuzo Ndlovu, who is also Basketball Union of Zimbabwe’s technical director, said they expected Mercenaries, a men’s club from Mutare to take part in the competition on a wild card ticket.
“Zimbabwe was on September 13 mandated by FIBA (International Basketball Federation) to host the qualifiers. Each country is supposed to send in four clubs (two men and two women’s teams). The tournament culminates into the FIBA Africa finals and the top two teams go to the FIBA club championships. We are expecting about 26 teams to come,” Ndlovu said.
Two top teams in the women’s category will proceed to Mozambique on 9 November for the continental finals, while the top two in the men’s sections will roll into the first edition of the Afro League.
derick.khumalo