dyton mupawaenda
Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
LOCAL basketball giants JBC have made history by becoming the first team from this country to qualify for the Basketball Africa League Elite 16 after mesmerising in the group qualifiers in Botswana.
The Addson Chiware boys arrived in Botswana last week as the underdogs for the four-team Group D qualifiers as they sought to make it into the second stage of the qualifiers in the biggest basketball tournament in Africa.
After faltering in their opening encounter, losing 68-65 to hosts Dolphines, the Zimbabweans came out guns blazing and did put their opponents to the guillotine in their next two games.
They massacred Namibian side Wolves 70-55 in their second match before sending Munali Suns of Zambia to the cleaners in a commanding 87-50 victory on Monday evening to win the group courtesy of a better points average after three teams had been tied at the close of business.
The Harare club will now feature in the Elite 16 section from which they would have to qualify to the final tournament to be held in Rwanda.
They have since been drawn to play CFV Beira of Mozambique, Uganda’s City Oilers and COSPN of Madagascar in Group B of the East division which will compete in Johannesburg, South Africa next month.
From the eight teams in Eastern Division, the Zimbabweans will need to finish in the top three if they are to make further history by becoming the first team from this country to compete in the BAL.
Group A is composed of Cape Town Tigers, NBA Academy Africa and PAZ BBC of Tanzania with the fourth team to be determined by a wildcard next week.
The other eight teams will compete in the Western Division in West Africa with the best three joining the three from Eastern Division at the BAL where six other giants with an automatic entry will be awaiting. Speaking from Botswana yesterday, Chiware heaped praise on his men.
“I would like to thank the Almighty God for helping us achieve this tremendous feat.
“We came here as underdogs and no one really gave us a chance,” said Chiware.
“But my boys had the fighting spirit of lions. They were never ready to surrender. The way with which they carried themselves in the courts won a lot of hearts here.
“They showed a lot of character and that is what exactly every coach expects to see in his players.
“I am very happy to be leading a group of determined men who have accomplished a mission that seemed impossible. “We are not resting on our laurels as the next crucial stage is up next in Johannesburg next month.
“We are going to make sure that we fine tune areas that we were struggling in the just ended tournament ahead of the final round of the qualifiers”.
Dyvonne Pfachi and Tyihai Byers shone brightly in the qualifiers in Botswana with the former top scoring in the win against Munali Suns while the latter scaled Mt Kilimanjaro in the victory over Wolves.
“Generally, everyone played a big role for the team. All the players brought their elite best in this tournament and that is what every leader of an orchestra wants from the players,” Chiware added.
“It’s been a remarkable journey that we want to make sure we see it off. We are a team driven by the desire to succeed”.
Online Reporter