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Mbachi Mutukula-Maregere Sports Reporter
LARRY Takura will captain Prince Edward School basketball team set to take part in the Bodwell High Basketball festival in Vancouver, Canada, next week. The festival is pencilled for January 16 to 26 at Bodwell High in Vancouver.
Takura has replaced Patrick Nhamburo who got a scholarship at Bodwell High. Nhamburo will now be playing against his former school.
However, newly-appointed captain Takura is determined to help his team do well.
“All the preparations have been going on well. We have been in camp since Monday and I am happy with the team. The team is looking good and hopefully we are going to come back victorious and even if we do not come victors but the fact that we are going there is a good experience of our lifetime and will have good stories to tell as well as learn new things from other players,” said Takura.
Coach Tapuwa Mungunyana said his team had players who have a lot of potential and were willing to learn in their inaugural tour of Canada.
“We started preparing in October before the national examinations. We had a short break and we resumed this month. The boys are willing to learn and we have some of the best players in the schools game, which make us grow in confidence.
“There is great improvement physically since we resumed training. We are set to leave this coming week and we are very prepared.
“There was a remarkable improvement during the training sessions and we had a another coach who has being helping the team with fitness training.
“I believe that as a team we are now there, we are ready. One of our players Patrick Nhamburo has won a scholarship there in Canada and he is at Bodwell High.
“He is doing great. I feel we still have some players who can match the standard and I feel we have a great chance of putting a good show at the tournament.
“Initially when we got the invitation it was because we have we had a good squad in 2012. This team has been doing very well and I believe this will be great exposure,” said Mungunyana
Prince Edward are the reigning schools basketball champions in Zimbabwe. The schools headmaster Agrippa Sora said he was thrilled by the tour and wished the team well.
“We are so happy that our basketball team is going for an international tour for the first time. They have travelled to tours in the SADC region but this will be their first time to Canada.
“I personally believe that the profile of the sport will be assisted with this international tour because they will be playing against some of the best players.
“The players in Canada are as good as those in the United States of America, some of whom graduate into the famous NBA,” said Sora.
Prince Edward basketball squad:
Larry Takura (captain) Noah Penduka, Prince Tsanganyado, Brian Takudzwa, Nyasha Karimakwenda, Nyasha Mhende, Anesu Mavesera, Victor Bingura, Panashe Ndewe, Michael Mudiwa.
Tapuwa Mungunyana (coach), Agrippa Sora (headmaster), Sledge Chinyoka (T.I.C)
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