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Moffat Mungazi
Sports Reporter
MANICALAND Province produced the winners for this year’s National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) 14 and Under Top Schools Basketball Tournament after Dangamvura High outplayed other competitors drawn from across the country to be crowned champions in the boys’ category during last weekend’s two-day games held at Eveline High in Bulawayo.
Dangamvura High were on top of their game as they cruised to an impressive 26-15 victory over Founders in the finals.
For their sterling efforts, they walked away with a floating trophy and gold medals for the entire team.
So outstanding was the Mutare side, fondly referred to as Dangamvura Eagles by admirers, that one of its players — Lawson Madondo — was adjudged as the most valuable player of the tournament.
Dangamvura High went all the way to the finals after finishing on top of their group in Pool B which comprised six teams — Nkulumane, St Bernard’s, Kutama College, Serima and Bernard Mizeki.
In the end, they soared head and shoulders above the other 11 competitors and clinched the national championship.
The team’s patron Chenaimwoyo Mawunga expressed delight at the team’s achievement.
“Among the 12 teams that participated in the boys’ category of the NASH 14 and Under Top Schools Basketball Tournament, we emerged victorious. This triumph is so sweet as it is, not only for Dangamvura High, but Mutare and the entire Manicaland Province as well. We are glad that we did the province proud. Considering the level of the competition, our boys put up a very good show as evidenced by the match results and overall outcome of the competition after we emerged as the champions,” she said.
After playing five group games in Pool B, the Eagles won four and lost one to Serima, before proceeding to the semi-finals as group winners.
They got the better of Churchill 14-4 in the penultimate match to book a place in the finals and dismissed Founders to clinch gold.
Mawunga attributed the team’s success to hard work and determination.
“From the group stages right up to the finals, we put up a fantastic display although there were formidable opponents along the way. While we won the other games comfortably, Serima and St Bernard’s proved to be tricky customers. However, the zeal to succeed and determination carried the day for us.
“That one of our players, Lawson Madondo, was named as the best player of the tournament shows the class we exuded,” said Mawunga, adding: “We want to keep the momentum going and hopefully our accomplishment gets to inspire other teams in the province to achieve success even in other sporting disciplines.”
She commended the team’s coach, Cloud Mutsutsururu for moulding a competitive outfit with a winning mentality.
The Eagles’ other patron, Leane Baudi has also been instrumental in keeping the squad vibrant, added Mawunga.
She said sport can be used as an efficient and effective vehicle to curb drug and substance abuse among young people in the community.
“Sport plays a very important role in keeping learners away from drugs. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop, it is said, and if young people are not in school then they must be occupied with something so that they do not indulge in substance abuse. Sport can be used as a tool to achieve that,” said the Dangamvura High basketball team patron.
Mawunga called on stakeholders to invest in sports infrastructure as the team presently has no basketball court and uses a community facility to conduct training sessions.
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