adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (Buz) has cleared Harare teams to participate in the National League finals that start in Bulawayo tomorrow and end on Monday.
Harare teams had been barred from competing in the National Basketball League due to an unexplained impasse with Buz.
They will now join 23 other clubs representing Bulawayo, Midlands, Manicaland, Matabeleland North and Masvingo provinces. Winners of the tournament will represent the country at the regional club championships to be held later this year.
Harare, which is home to defending men and women’s champions JBC and Vixens, are expected to send five men and five women’s teams to the basketball fiesta.
The National Basketball League final will be played at Khanyisile Sports Centre, formerly known as Bulawayo Club for the Disabled (BCD). Other matches will be played at Girls College and Christian Brothers College (CBC).
Joe Mujuru, the Buz secretary-general, said they are happy with the inclusion of Harare clubs, which they expect to arrive tonight.
“It looks like we’re going to have six provinces coming to Bulawayo after Buz dealt with Harare’s administrative challenges,” said Mujuru.
“From provinces that had been confirmed earlier, Bulawayo will be represented by five men and five women’s clubs, Midlands will have five men and two women’s teams, while Masvingo will have a team in each category. Manicaland are sending two men’s teams and one ladies’ side, with Matabeleland North only bringing a women’s team. We expect Harare to take up all their 10 slots of five for each category” Mujuru said.
Bulawayo women’s champions Southern Mavericks have set their sights on winning the tournament.
“In 2014 and last year, we finished fourth and we want to improve this time around. It won’t be easy, but we’ve covered what we feel is enough ground for us to win this tournament,” said Mavericks’ coach Mxolisi Ndlovu.
They will bank on Melisa Majonga, Isabel Sibanda, Brandina Muleya, Sharon Chamwarura and Charmaine Chirinda, who were part of the Bulawayo’s women’s team that won gold at last month’s inter-provincial finals held in Masvingo.
Bongani Ndlovu