Primary heads hold basketball workshop

Peter Phiri, Sports Correspondent
MZILIKAZI District is playing host to a National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) basketball workshop at Mpumelelo Primary School.
The aim of the clinic is to develop officials who would be knowledgeable in the application of the game’s rules and regulations.Head-in-charge of basketball in the district Ellen Ngwenya and Dumisani Mathwasa will be co-ordinating the workshop.

The two will be assisted by three zonal heads, Priscillar Chibelu, Guide Mafika and Sithembiso Sibanda and the fourth head Musa Nxumalo is committed elsewhere.

Each district is represented by one teacher and there are 30 participants drawn from all the districts.
Ngwenya said they want to produce top quality referees who can officiate at any level.

‘‘Since basketball was not a sport popular in the western areas, we are now trying to address some of the challenges which are in our district. We need to have very good match officials who can apply the rules without any problem,’’ she said.

Ngwenya expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far in the district saying most of the officials in schools are female unlike in the past when it used be a male dominated field.

‘‘You will be surprised to be find out that most of the basketball officials in most schools are now female. Some of the women can even coach football. There is no sport the women cannot do anymore. What men can do, we can do better and it also encouraging to see the number of girls who are embracing basketball in primary schools. The future of sport in Zimbabwe lies in the Girl Child,’’ said Ngwenya.