Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE basketball captain Vitalis Chikoko is set to wear the Basket Hounds jersey for the first time when the reigning champions take part in the Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge (BIBC) in Malawi this weekend.
The 34-year-old centre, who plies his trade in France with SIG Strasbourg, has been training with the Hounds during the off season. But his involvement in the upcoming Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers, where the Hounds will represent Zimbabwe, is still uncertain.
“Yes, Vitah (Chikoko) has been training with the team for a couple of weeks now and will travel with us to Malawi,” said Tawanda Nemutambwe, the Hounds coach and co-founder.
“He is an immensely talented and experienced player and our players will benefit a lot by playing alongside him. We also have Devon Pfacha in the team and he was on the books of MBB of South Africa last season. He played Elite 16 level basketball at the BAL qualifiers and, hopefully, he will be with us this time around.
“The status of Chikoko is still up in the air as time is a crucial factor. Depending on the dates of the Road to BAL qualifiers, he might have returned to France for pre-season training already.”
The Hounds, who are making their debut in Malawi, will use the August 28–30 tournament as a warm up for the BAL qualifiers. The BIBC has grown into a premier Southern African basketball showcase, drawing teams from Kenya, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, and South Africa. Mozambique are sending six clubs, Zambia five, Angola and Kenya two each, and South Africa one. The prize money has been raised to US$2 500.
“The main objective going into this tournament will be to gauge where we are and identify areas that need work, especially as we head into the home stretch of preparations for the Road to BAL qualifiers,” said Nemutambwe.
“We also hope to come up with a scouting report as most of the teams taking part will also be at the BAL qualifiers.
“We have been training since last month but there is no substitute for competitive game time. There is also the US$2 500 prize, which will go a long way in helping fund our travels to the qualifiers. While winning the tournament is not the main goal, it would definitely be a welcome bonus.”
The Hounds head to Malawi on the back of a successful 2024/25 season in which they captured both the Harare Basketball Association (HBA) Super Six and Basketball union of Zimbabwe (BUZ) National League titles. They also successfully defended their BUZ crown, earning another crack at the Basketball Africa League.
