Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (BUZ) has escaped the US$50 000 fine imposed by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA Africa) for failing to send Under-16 teams to last month’s Afro-basket Championships after a strong appeal.
BUZ had been automatically slapped with a US$50 000 fine after withdrawing the country’s Under-16 boys’ and girls’ teams from the junior continental tournament when they failed to get clearance from the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) due to Covid-19 restrictions.
According to FIBA, countries which confirm participation and withdraw at the 11th hour are slapped with a fine of US$25 000 per team.
Failure to pay the fine attracts a ban from participating in regional, continental or international tournaments that fall under the auspices of FIBA until that penalty is cleared.
Joe Mujuru, the BUZ president, said they successfully stated their case, highlighting that Covid-19 had enforced sports suspension in the country and it would have been difficult to fulfill the international assignments.
“The fact that we’re now working on December’s Africa Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Games is testimony that as BUZ we’re back in good standing with FIBA. Our circumstances for not travelling last month were special in a way because as you know the sports industry has been affected by Covid-19. We couldn’t fault the the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), Government or anyone because the pandemic isn’t anyone’s fault,” said Mujuru.
“We really had a scare when the issue of the US$50 000 fine came up, but we fought and sent supporting evidence to plead our case. That is why we’re happy that in December, if we’re not affected by Covid-19, we will be able to participate in the regional games.”
BUZ also abandoned its quest to send the Under-16s a month after its request to send the Under-18 boys’ and girls’ teams to the DR Congo for a 3×3 World Cup qualifier was also declined by the SRC.
The Under-18 application fell under a blanket ban that was imposed by the country’s supreme sporting body on all incoming and outgoing sport tours for the sake of public health and safety.
BUZ resolved not to send the senior women’s basketball side for the Afro-basket Games in Angola last month.
Meanwhile, BUZ has appointed coaches for the boys’ and girls’ Under-18 national teams that will compete in the Africa Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Games in December.
The new technical teams have been given responsibility to identify talented players that will represent Zimbabwe in the Games set for Lesotho.
The regional games will also be used as Afro-Basket qualifiers.
The girls’ team will be under the guidance of head coach Clement Kucheketa, who is in charge of Girls High School and Green Stars Basketball Club in Harare.
He will be assisted by Nkulumane High School and Southern Mavericks’ gaffer Admos Ndlovu.
Harare City Hornets and Heritage College’s Tawanda Nemutambwe will coach the boys’ team, with Rodwell Khumalo from Esigodini’s Falcon College as his assistant.
“Age groups games have always been our stronghold and the technical teams appointed have to get down to business. In a day or two, we should be letting people know what selection method we are going to use seeing that Covid-19 really affected the sport,” said Buz president Joe Mujuru.
Online Reporter