Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Basketball Association secretary Admire Chafa says they’re in the process of enlisting academies into their league as part of efforts to take the game to the people.
The Bulawayo Basketball League kicked off in late September and is now in cycle seven but there is still no sign of academies or games being played in the city’s western suburbs as promised at the beginning of the season.
Chafa said their Achilles heel in both was general lack of funding.
“We have not abandoned the goals we set at the beginning of the season. The academies are the future of basketball, not only in Bulawayo, but the country as a whole. However, academy directors are failing to get funding for this initiative. As we have said before, the creation of a vibrant junior policy is key to the growth of the game in the country, but in order to have this vibrant policy, we need to have financial support,” said Chafa.
“At the beginning of the season we had an academy called Glow, but it’s struggling for funding. We registered them and they are failing to fulfil other obligations. We, however, remain hopeful that those with financial support can come and help us in our effort to spread the game,” he said.
Chafa indicated that they would soon be staging some league games in the western suburbs.
“We are going to move to the western suburbs, but the weather is not favourable at this time of the year given the venues we had in mind. As soon as the rains stops, we will surely have matches being played elsewhere besides the usual Khanyisile Sports Centre,” Chafa said.
The league had approached Bulawayo City Council to use the tennis courts in Tshabalala and netball courts at White City Stadium as well as Nkulumane High School for use of their facilities. — @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter