Mat North basketball takes a turn

Nkosilathi Sibanda

THERE might be no competitive basketball in Matabeleland North province but, that has not deterred a group of a group of players to continue on their slam dunk on court.

Following the collapse of the Matabeleland Basketball Association (MABA), it meant there were no more games played. Despair and doom marred the entire league, with some teams in Lupane, Hwange and Victoria Falls folding to the side.

In fact, basketball never returned since the bite of the Covid-19 period. Having noted the dire effect which could lead to a demise of the game, players based in Hwange have hatched an idea to revive the sport through a series of weekend games.

Led by seasoned administrator Penrick Ndlovu, the teams conduct what they call Coulorful Basketball weekends in Hwange. Teams in the contest include Black Hornets, Royal Eagles, Ghetto Magics, Madumabisa and Victoria Falls Panthers.

Ndlovu said they have managed to bring life to the game.

“Since the collapse of MABA, not much basketball was played here. Teams based in Hwange have for some time conducting friendly matches. We then thought of the Colourful Basketball weekend clashes to help revive the sport,” he said.

With Hwange having more teams, Ndlovu said they agreed to have the town host the games.

“It might seem like we playing for fun, but it becoming bigger by the day. The basketball community of Hwange is pleased and so are many of the game’s enthusiasts in other areas. In fact, the excitement is on the effort to revive basketball in Mat North.

If one looks closely, they would find that Mat North is still one of the few places where basketball has a lot of untapped talent.”

Meanwhile, in games played on Sunday, Madumabisa fell 14-52 to Black Hornets. Royal Eagles beat Ghetto Magics 49 -27. At the weekend Madumabisa will meet Ghetto Magics, with Royal Eagles facing Black Hornets.