Lakers Foundation tourney in full swing

Descent Dube, Sports Reporter
THE three-day Lakers Foundation annual Under-16 schools’ basketball tournament, which is also part of the organisation’s 10th-year anniversary celebration this year, kicked-off at Eveline High School yesterday.

Girls High from Harare and St James got the tournament rolling with the opening game, which the Harare school won 29-11. Girls High followed with another narrow 17-14 win over Sizane High to justify their favourites’ tag.

Girls High coach Onayi Mpozori said his team was surprised by the way Sizane played and is convinced that the Bulawayo school will be among the best in the game in two years’ time.

“I have to admit that there’s something special happening at Sizane and it’s so unfortunate that the best team of the match lost. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go on to reach the finals at the end of this tournament.

“It is known that we’d been dominant for 10 years until Nkulumane dethroned us in 2017, but we’re trying to pick up from our mistakes. It’s is good for young basketball players to come to Bulawayo, rub shoulders with their counterparts and share ideas,” said Mpozori.

Despite the loss, Sizane High coach Tatenda Mumbengegwi was happy his girls gave their opponents a fright.

“I think we were mainly beaten by fitness. Our opponents are a physical team and they have big players, but my team had speed. I had studied them and watched their matches and they’re a slower team so I knew we had to catch them on quick counters.

“It worked for the first two halves when we led, but in the third quarter they started coming for us due to endurance, otherwise I’m really happy with the girls. To be honest we only had five days of training,” said Mumbegegwi.

He said the Lakers Foundation initiative was put together because there are few schools in Bulawayo that take basketball seriously.

“I hope with these kinds of tournaments schools will enhance basketball because we’re being beaten by Harare teams not because they’ve quality, but they have a bigger pool of schools that play basketball,” he said. – @DecoDecent2