adminTakudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Under-18 boys and girls basketball teams are confident of qualifying for the 2016 AfroBaskets when they start their campaign against Mozambique and Botswana at Belvedere Technical Teachers College this morning.
The boys team will face Mozambique and Botswana while the girls side will only battle it out later.
Team Zimbabwe boys captain Tichaona Chinyanganya said they are ready for the event.
“We are prepared for the event and we would like to win the qualifiers so that we will represent the country at the AfroBaskets finals.
“Everyone was working hard and we have been in camp for two months which gave us confidence and we now understand each other as we have played together for quite sometime now.
“Mozambique will be a difficult side, but we will try our best as we have equally well-built players who can match the big frames,” Chinyanganya said.
The girls team stand-in captain Nomqhwele Matshlangu said they are ready for Botswana.
“The team has some talented players who were picked from all the provinces and we are happy with that.
“We will do our best and everyone is confident that we will do well,” Matshlangu said.
The event will see Zimbabwe, who are hosting the qualifiers for the third time since 2006, taking on powerhouse Mozambique and Botswana.
Zimbabwe failed to send the men’s team for last year’s event but men’s team coach Valentine Muvindi believes they are well prepared this time around.
“We have been working with the boys from the Under-16s up to Under-20s and it is good that they now understand each other better.
“We promise to get the better of Mozambique who are a strong team on paper but were are also not underrating Botswana.
“We hope the corporates can come on board and help us as this will raise the country’s flag high,” said Muvindi.
Online Reporter