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Ballers’ Mirror Two Six Three

This is a basketball sports news page for Zimbabwe & Southern Africa Region

23/07/2024

Bulldogs continue to bite

Midlands Basketball Association’s Bulldogs continue with their winning streak. They dismissed Huskies 71-63 in their victory to maintain their third position on the MBA log standings. They claimed a one point game ie 65-64 against KSM Giants last weekend.

Like Munali Suns who are on second position. They have won 6 out of 8 games. They lost twice and have amassed a total of 14 points. They are on third position because of goal difference. Munali Suns succumbed to their second loss last weekend. They lost 65-61 to NAPSA Hurricanes. Matero Magic prevailed in a battle of the Materos.

They whitewashed their next door neighbors in a 20 point game to take it 73-53. Magic has cemented the r grip at the top with a total of 15 points. They have lost once. In other games the Lusaka Basket family were in uncompromising mood as both teams registered ‘tonnes’ against their opponents. The Kings dismissed UNZA pacers 103 -58. The Queens took a 109-26 victory against Mystics.

Queens lead the standings on 15 points after loosing one game out of 8 games played to date. NAPSA Breeze who have played a game less are on second position with a total of 13 points from 6 wins and a loss. Dolphins are on third position after five victories out of seven games played. They have lost 2 and have played a game less compared to Queens who are topping the log.

17/07/2024

Queens return to default settings

Returning to the Midlands Basketball Association ladies league after a not very beautiful campaign in Malawi,the Lusaka Basket Queens return to default settings.

They have returned to their usual dominance of the league in which they have lost just once to NAPSA Breeze in a match they had seemingly had become complacent. They returned from Malawi as silver medalists and quickly underlined their grip on the league by taking a 50 point game against Magic Sparks.

They won 82-32 to cement their position at number one on the standing log. They won 6 games out of 7 and have 13 points in the bag. The only team that has beaten them so far Dolphins are second position with 12 points registered from 5 wins and 2 losses. Queens face lowly placed Mystics this coming weekend. The latter has lost all their opening six games.

12/07/2024

Triumphant Matero returns to their local league

Matero Magic ,the newly crowned Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge (BIBC) champions who led a party of Zambian teams to a basketball jamboree in Malawi returns back to the Midlands Province Basketball League this weekend.

Magic who are topping the Midlands’ men’s standing logs faces the Zambian Airforce team Red Arrows on Sunday,2pm at NASDEC. The airmen are positioned 9th on the log with a record of 7 points from a total of 5 games played. They have won 2 so far and lost the remainder.
Notwithstanding any wild surprises the airmen faces yet another defeat looking at the strength their opponents posses at the moment. Magic have been crushing anyone on the way from the days of the Zambian national league.

Munali Suns ,smarting from two defeats in Malawi faces Huskies in a game they are expected to start building their confidence. The former stands second on the log and have same number of points as the log Leaders Magic. They are second on a head to head. They lost to Magic in their only defeat so far. Huskies are on position number 11 with just one win. This game is slated as Sunday’s big one coming at 18 pm at NASDEC.

Huskies can never be written off considering they are under pressure to win. Another Zambian team coming back from the Malawi trip ,Lusaka Basket Kings entertain Lusaka City Council Looters in a game coming before the main one at the same venue. Kings should take this given their current form in the league. They are on 6th position with 3 wins out of 6 games played so far.

Looters,a team that came second to Harare City Hornets in the Harare Mayor’s International Basketball Challenge (HMIBC) a few years back in Harare have not been that good team lately. They stand on 10th position on the log with just one win out 6 games played. In the only two men’s games played last weekend;Green Buffaloes mauled 76-60 by Bulldogs. NAPSA Hurricanes outsmarted Huskies 80-66.

11/07/2024

Zimbabwe CUCSA men capture gold

The Zimbabwe CUCSA men’s were crowned the Confederation of University and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) Zone 6 games basketball champions in Pretoria,SA after a stelar performance against their northern neighbors in the final and battle of the Zambezi.

Zimbabwe took a 16 point game and the bragging rights between the two nations. They won 96-80 in what looked more like revenge. Only three or so weeks ago;Zimbabwe U18 girls and boys came back home empty handed after they were walloped 2-0 in a two games series FIBA Afro qualifiers.

The Zimbabwean side were just in a class of their own and have been posting very impressive results in the recent competition. They conducted a clinic over Botswana we th an embarrassing result. They won 102-53 in what the game’s fraternity calls ‘tonning’ after they posted a tonne plus in the semifinals. Norman Chimukanda proved just too strong in this game and scored 18 points with Tashinga Chiimba closely behind with 15 points to his record.

Tashinga Chiimba then took control of the final against Zambia to score 30 points. He was however outsmarted by Jacob Mushinge who scored 35 points for Zambia. Mushinge’s score and total for his country was however not good enough to stop Zimbabwe to be crowned the tournament’s champions. According to reports by respected scribe Junior Yele in SA;Zambia never stopped to fight and especially in the second half where they pushed and pushed but however found Zimbabwe very solid.

The Zimbabwe CUCSA ladies however were not so luck and bowed out in the semifinals. They lost in a very tense encounter that went to OT at 59-59 against Zambia ladies. The former looked on course with Tadiwa Mabika in her usual beast mode ‘cooking and cooking eating’ according to Yele who was watching the games. Zimbabwe was leading by 7 points way in the third quarter. They then somehow lost the plot in the final quarter. Zambia led by a point with 1.25 mins to play for.

The two teams tussled each other to end normal time of the game at 59 apiece. The Zambians proved way too strong in over time where they took the game 72-65 and a berth in the final against hosts SA. Tadiwa top scored in that semifinal albeit on a loosing cause. She scored 28 points with Zambia’s Charity Maseko coming second at 20 points. Zambia men dismissed SA 73-68 at semifinals stage to meet Zimbabwe in the final.

South Africa ladies were crowned the zone’s queens of the game after whitewashing Zambia 90-57 in the final to mark a very bad for Zambia as both their teams falling short where it mattered most. The nation must however be commended for having both their teams in the finals on both the two categories.

09/07/2024

Straight talker and shrewd coach

One thing I have learnt and loved about this young men but larger than life basketball character is his straight talk and ability to go over issues that are not important from a given environment. Hate or love him ;you will still find him on your doorstep for as long as you stick your hand on his way.

He has grown to become an accomplished coach and administrator of this beautiful game of basketball . He has been around and shown the world he can go all the way for the things he wants to achieve . He ran a franchise and both his teams have achieved even better to include back to back championships at both provincial and national levels. HE IS CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY today and we will take a look at who this man is?

He grew up in Mashonaland East provincial capital of Marondera. Raised from a soccer family and was literally forced to play the game of soccer for most part of his growing years. Ironically,a basketball court was within meters away from his Dombotombo family home. “I used to frequent the basketball court and watch older boys play the game “,the birthday boy said. He would more often and just like any small boy at the court;he would step on to the court at the slightest of opportunities to bounce the ball around and take shots.

It became a practice for him and this his love for the game germinated. He played the game at primary school but did not find time to play meaningful game at secondary school. He would then find himself playing for Nyamidzi at the age of 18. He then moved to Mufakose Hawks before he did a short stint at JBC. He went on to be appointed National team manager for the men’s team with the legendary coaches Ngoni Mukukula and Ronald Garura (late) coaching the men and ladies respectively.

Asked on how he ended up in coaching and this is what he had to say, “….then National team coach for men Mukukula failed to travel to Pretoria in SA. Late Coach Garuda and Lawson Simeon who were coaching the ladies side then invited him to assist coaching the men’s side since he was more familiar to the players as manager. He then never looked back from then on. He would move to Glen Norah Pistons as coach.

He had in his team the likes of now established ladies and junior team coach Evans Gasva who is know for 3 pointers,Jerry Buxton Muchineripi,the terrier with a never say die spirit Saddiq Said and many others who went out there and made names in the game. Gasva and Saddiq went to play for the famous Harare City Hornets of the 2013-2020 period. The coach has very fond memories of this young Pistons best highlighted by the team’s performances in Lusaka Zambia at some point.

“…..a trip to Lusaka where our young side held its best in Lusaka and up to today we are a menace if we ever in a Zambian basketball space”;he said. I am sure those in Zambian space now know who this coach is. He would unfortunately get into a ruckus with the founder members. “My stint ended with a huge fall out with founder members of the club”. He had no choice but to leave. A case of kicking a frog and help it cross over a stumble I think.

The young coach then ,together with the likes of former Cameo players like Maggy Magwaro and Anita King founded what we know as Vixens from the ashes of the disbanded Caneo ladies. He would then add the fierce Foxes. The two teams together have more than a dozen championships at provincial level. The two have a handful of national championships and a dance with the region’s big guys at FIBA Afro Club Championships.

The coach who we think the record has revealed his identity would go on to be appointed the Zimbabwe national team coach and a position he still holds today. How he became the national team coach is subject for another day. He coached the national team in Bulawayo at the Afrobasket qualifiers where he posted a famous win against Mozambique before lost to them on the rebound. He went on win another one and lost the return to Zambia.

He is still bitter for loosing that game against Zimbabwe’s northern neighbors and of course took the blame for not well prepared for the return game against Mozambique. He is hurt by the latest loss by the juniors in Zambia but takes this day to poke at a number of his friends in Zambia. “I suspect there was a bit of age cheating in the Zambia junior side and I know of a couple of guys like Obert who is capable of manufacturing fake birth certificates “,he quipped as he signed off.

He still rues for an opportunity to revenge for the loss to Zambia in Bulawayo and by the juniors in Zambia about two weeks ago. KELVIN BEN is the man in this profile and happy birthday Coach Kevie. He is a holder of several coaching certificates to include FIBA coaching certificates and he has also have attended the Athletes In Action Coaches Academy in America twice and looks forward to attending the one in November this year.

Apart from his interests in the game of basketball,Coach Kelvin Ben runs very successful business ventures in Harare that has taken more of his time lately and a reason for a sabbatical from club coaching and administration.

08/07/2024

What the coaches had to say as the tournament progressed

08/07/2024

Matero’s stature continues to grow

Zambia’s National Champions and the country’s representative in the next BAL campaign ,Matero Magic’s stature in the region continues to grow.

The David Musonda coached side are crowned champions in the Malawi Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge held in Lilongwe today. Magic dismissed the hosts’ baby Bravehearts men in a final they won 67-51. The Zambian side closed the first quarter at 21-15. It is in the second quarter where they won the encounter by chocking the Malawi National Champions.

They limited Bravehearts to a paltry 5 points against their 19 in the second quarter. Magic closed the first half at 40-19. Bravehearts came back a changed side in the third quarter to score 17 points against Magic’s 12. Third quarter was also a close contest but Magic refused to curve in. They would score 15 points against the hosts’ 14 and wrapped the game to claim gold.

As has become the norm;the captain Chongo Chona would lead from the front. He scored a double double of 15 points and 16 rebounds. Augustine Kainda also came out big to top score on everyone in the game with 18 points. Everyone else from Matero played well with a total of other 7 players who played scoring an everage of 3 points each. The biggest letdown for Bravehearts was that they relied more on one person on the offensive side.

Dylan Ngope tried hard and scored 14 points in a game every one would not manage double digits. The Malawian side’s captain Madalitso Kadiwa and Mike Kalanga tried very hard on defense to post a combined total of 24 rebounds between the two of them. One would argue the Malawian champions lacked the needed fitness for the tournament as they have just started the leagues in Malawi. Their rivals in the final are in their 6th or so game of the season.

Coach Griffin Kalua chose to be positive about his side’s loss. “Look,Matelo is a very good side…”,he said. He pointed out for the need to regroup and make sure the men’s team have enough time to prepare and gel for the next BAL qualifiers. “We have added a few more international players with some coming from the US and one from Cameron and we will go back to the drawing board in a bid to work out on our shortcomings” he added.

Magic Coach chose to be spiritual and thank the Almighty for His presence and favour. David Musonda was overjoyed with the commitment and determination shown by his players. They have done extremely well even in the absence of key players who did not travel with the rest. “We have come to Malawi for the second time and it feels great to win the biggest on both attempts”,Musonda said.

08/07/2024

Angels rule in Malawi

The University of Lilongwe Ark Angels ably led by Lisungu Banda are the Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge 2024 champions after dismissing Lusaka Basket Queens in Lilongwe today.

Angels took a one point victory in a game that was fiercely fought between the two teams. The newly crowned champions won 65-64. This is a game Coach Lisu’s girls set the pace from the first whistle. The ended the first quarter 19-11. They allowed Queens to claw their way back but managed to hold on to the lead and went to half time leading 35-33.

The game intensity continued in the third and it was more like pound for pound and the Angels still held on to the lead to end the quarter by yet another 3 point. Lusaka Basket Queens fought even harder to wrestle the lead at some point and led 58-56 at some stage in the fourth quarter. Angels changed their game plan and retained their lead. They went on a very strong finish that earned them a one point game and the championship.

Deborah Mtegha was the chief destroyer of the Queens efforts as she collected 18 points and 6 rebounds 31.45 mins. Marry Nyirenda was close by to assist and collected a double double of 14 points and a total of 15 rebounds. Esnarth Kabaghe was also right in the mix of things as she contributed 12 points and 6 rebounds. Gift Kaonga for Queens led the fight back and came out from the encounter with a double double of her own.

She scored 15 points and collected 12 rebounds. Priscilla Mayuka,Mirriam Samuwika and Emma Makoni combined for a total of 32 points that only could get Queens settle for silver. Asked for a comment;Angels coach Lisungu Banda sounded overwhelmed with joy of becoming champions. She pointed out Lusaka Basket Queens are a very good team and what mattered was that her team stuck to their game and it worked.

Lisu acknowledged the efforts by the organizers in their bid to professionalize the game. “…we may face challenges here and there but I think we stepped up the game and showed the world we can do it”,Coach Lisu said. She sends her special thanks to all their supporters,the sponsors and her two Assistant Coaches Moses Mwambeni and Damalatha Chikuse for the support.

08/07/2024

Munali falls again

Zambian giants Munali Suns fail to find a formula to beat their bitter rivals and fellow countrymen Matero Magic in Malawi. Suns have huffed and puffed in the Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge.

This is the second time they lost in the ongoing tournament in Lilongwe. They fell to Bravehearts in the first loss and they have fallen again to bow out of the campaign at semifinals. It’s the second time again they have fallen to Matero Magic this year. First they lost in their first round game to Magic in the Midlands Province league.

They were dumbed 64-56 in the latest one. This is a game Aaron Johnson towered above everyone to score 21 points and rebounded a total of 7 times. The captain Chongo Chona also led by example to score 13 points to add to the tally. Chongo took 6 rebounds. Frank Siame and Harrison Banda from the opposite tried to bring back the team to life and combined for a total of 30 points between the two of them.

Matero will now meet the winner between Bravehearts men against Academia New Vision later today.

08/07/2024

Lusaka Basket Queens dumbs the hosts

The started off badly only to deceive everyone! Call it saving the best for the last. The Zambia ladies national champions Lusaka Basket Queens (LBQ) have woken up from what looked a deep slumber to dumb favorites and hosts Bravehearts ladies from the ongoing Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge.

The won 53-42 in today’s semi final encounter played in Lilongwe. They now meet a team they lost to in the preliminary games. They will now play UNIL Ark Angels in the finals later today. The University of Lilongwe team (Ark Angels) took dismissed Kukoma Eagles 40-35 in another semifinal played today.

LBQ came out very strongly to dismiss the locals and former BIBC champions. They had Mirriam Samuwika leading from the front. She top scored with 17 points and collected 7 rebounds. Emma Makoni weighed in with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Combined with together with Priscilla Mayuka’s 12 points made that difference. The three contributed to a total of 42 points.

07/07/2024

Bravehearts brand storms into the semis

The hosts Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge’s ladies and men franchises storm into the semifinals. This is coming with a Zambian affair in what looks more like a final before a final.

Bravehearts ladies who are themselves have laid their hands on the tournament’s top prize have been so impressive from day one and look set to go all the way. They are joined by yet another big competitor in UNIL Ark Angels together with Kukoma Eagles and Zambian giants Lusaka Basket Queens (LBQ). Quite a tough call on who is going through to the final from the four.

This promises to be a Malawi final but Bravehearts have to do an even more harder shift against the Zambian champions LBQ who had to bounce back into reckoning after a bruising and loosing encounter against Angels in the preliminary games. LBQ dismissed Academia New Vision 65-39 to book a place in the semifinals. Bravehearts won 63-31 against NOZABAL Buzzer Beaters.
Angels took a 67-35 win against Katana.
Kukoma Eagles won 60-56 against Avengers.

The other Bravehearts team and on the men’s side won all their games from day one and judging from the standard they have exhibited ,the confidence and experience they bring they are set to go all the way to the finals. What happens there is another story. The Griffin Kalua led men’s side dismissed Mbare Bulls from Harare 62-58 to book a Beth in the semifinals. Bulls struggled from day one and became everyone’s punch bag. Not a bad side though as they would narrowly lose almost all their games.

Bravehearts men faces a very tricky Mozambique side Academia New Vision who have been posting very impressive results. Academia ,like their rivals won all their games so far and will go into the semis against their hosts with their tails up. Will Malawi witness an upset in this semifinal? Only time will tell.

The other semifinal pits two Zambian rivals Matero Magic and Munali Suns. The two are very experienced sides with both of them having participated in the BAL qualifiers before. Magic seems to have an urge over their rivals lately. They are currently Zambian champions and lead 1-0 against Suns in the current Midlands Province season in Zambia. Suns on one hand brag about being the Midlands Province current champions.

Magic won all their qualifying round games and Suns had a setback along the way but quickly regrouped to find their way to the top four. They now have to find a way around their bitter rivals to advance to the finals. All the teams rested the whole day today and this was in respect for the day which was the Malawi National Day. The semi finals will take place from early Monday with the finals happening later in the day.

05/07/2024

Ark Angels on a flying start

University of Lilongwe Ark Angels started off their campaign in the Malawi Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge on a flying note.

True to their name ,they remain sacred and untouchable. Too strong like the heavenly angels they soured above every challenge in their opening two games to remain on course on their bid to challenge for the honours.

The Lisungu Banda coached side brushed off a challenge by Lusaka Basket Queens who they beat 44-25. Their strengths was just too strong to take a 19 point game against a team that made a mess of everyone in Zambia for a very long time. The latter won the Midlands Province without dropping a point. They went on to win Zambia’s national championship without much challenge.

The Angels had earlier on made mince meat of NOZABAL Buzzer Beaters who they dismissed 48-22. Lusi’s Angels now lead their group with an intact record. Lusaka Basket Queens are second with one win. The queens redeemed themselves by way of a walkover against COBBE Barracks.

Kukoma Eagles lead the other ladies group with an intact record too. In second position is the host’s Bravehearts ladies who also have an intact record.

05/07/2024

Malawi BIBC on the groove

The Malawi Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge is by the time of going to press on the tail end of the day’s program and right on course as scheduled.

The tournament technical director Kuda Zvareva confirmed this and mentioned that the last two games were in their last quarters. The ‘Madalas’ games also had the last one being played and also coming to an end. All the teams for both ladies and men were scheduled to play two games each by end of the day. The Madalas and to save their legs would play a game everyone of the registered teams.

The tournament however started with bit of some hiccups. Lusaka Basket Queens and Bravehearts ladies had to take Ws via ‘walkovers’ and a scenario of hat did not go down well with some quarters of the basketball fraternity. Arguments were that the organizers should have moved the games to later slots and not choose to be hard in an international tournament. Apparently the two teams ie COBBE Barracks and Katana who were walked over are local teams.

FIBA rules however prescribe for such kind of procedures in the event a team is not by the court side in a given period. Some teams from Mozambican struggled to move on their road trips and only arrived today and had to ask for their games to be moved to later slots. Some had not arrived by midday.

As alluded to the games and schedule normalized by end of the day.

05/07/2024

Bulls fell in their first two opening Lilongwe assignments

Zimbabwe’s ambitious side Mbare Bulls fell on their opening game against former Zambian national champions Munali Suns at the on going Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe. They lost 45-42 and lost narrowly and by a point again in the second. They lost 63-64 to Lusaka Basket Kings in the second.

Sources in Lilongwe say Bulls had a depleted side and efforts to get a comment from stand in coach Mike Nhira who is with the team in Lilongwe were unfruitful. They need to put their act together and start to show the standards they exhibited towards the end of the HBA Super 6 in Harare. They tried to flex their muscles in the second game to end the third quarter 36-35 to their favour.

They would then crumble in the final quarter to surrender the game by a point and obviously because of a very lean bench. One can only hope they will get a full complement of their players and specifically the players who did duty for them in the HBA Super 6.

According to an earlier announcement,Bulls will still qualify for the quarterfinals which are set for tomorrow.

03/07/2024

The lines are drawn in Lilongwe

It’s all set for one of the biggest basketball jamborees in Southern Africa and the place is Malawi and the capital Lilongwe to be specific. It’s the mighty Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge (BIBC) which is set to kick off on Friday,3 July 2024.

The tournament started in 2017 and then might Harare City Hornets became the inaugural men’s winners. Zambia’s NAPSA took the honors on the ladies category. Zambian’s Matero sides Magic and Warriors took turns to win the men’s championships between 2018 and 2022.

Magic were first and not to be outdone;the Warriors entered the history books in 2022. Bravehearts ladies were crowned champions in 2018 to joint NAPSA in the history books. They won the honors again in 2022.

BIBC was to be disturbed by the Covid pandemic the following two or so years from 2019 only to bounce back in 2022. The organizers had to scrap off the 2023 after a number of international teams and in particular Zambia and Zimbabwe pulled out due to challenges with their authorities.

The question now is who is going to be the 2024 champions? Will Bravehearts men rise to claim their own title as hosts? Could it be a toss between Zambian giants Magic or Suns who come to the tournament with BAL experience? Could it be Giants from basketball powerhouse Mozambique?

Monday,which is a holiday in Malawi will tell as final whistles are blown. We hear apart from team prizes there are lots of individual prizes to be won as the biggest sponsor of the tournament and the brand behind the hosting teams Bravehearts ladies and Men -GY

03/07/2024

Bulls set to leave for Malawi

Mbare Bulls become the only Zimbabwe side set to travel to Lilongwe for the Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge (BIBC). The annual Malawi tournament kicks off on Friday,5 July 2024.

The other three ;Black Rhinos ladies and men pulled out about three weeks ago with Blades pulling out a few days ago. National ladies Champions UZ Stars who were also meant to travel also pulled out at the last minute. Most teams sited lack of financial support and they couldn’t afford transport fees required to travel to Lilongwe.

Bulls according to sources are set to leave the country tomorrow morning. The Mbare based side who finished the previous Harare Basketball Association Super Six season very strongly will however travel without their American duo of Fortune and Watley. The former became an instant heat in the country because of his beautiful talent. They have plans to bring yet another American down to Malawi according to Coach Tapiwa Madzima.

Mbare Bulls who are joining teams from Zambia,Mozambique and host Malawi are expected to do well if their previous season standards are anything to go by. They have to be at their very best to make an impact at the tournament though. They will face very strong sides to include a team from regional powerhouse Mozambique.

They will face very stiff competition from Zambian sides Matero Magic and Warriors who both were crowned BIBC before. Bravehearts men are also not pushovers. Bulls will be headed by seasoned coach Mike Nhira who himself won the inaugural BIBC Championship with Harare City Hornets in 2017.

Bulls Head Coach Tapiwa Madzima is committed else and may only travel on Saturday.

01/07/2024

More teams wanted to take part in this year’s tournament;the organizers had to limo the numbers due to time limitations.

29/06/2024

Zambia vs Zimbabwe game 2 highlights between the boys sides.

29/06/2024

Zim U18 teams return home empty handed from Zambia

Both Zimbabwe U18 girls and boys teams when down 2-0 each to well prepared Zambian sides in the return matches in the FIBA Afro Zone qualifiers played at NASDEC in Lusaka Zambia today.

The girls side fell 42-47 with the boys side losing 63-78. The two teams lost their opening matches yesterday and were trying to chase huge point differences in today’s matches. The girls side was chasing an 11 point difference with the boys having a huge task of trying to reverse a 31 point deficit.

All this was never to be and the two teams will return home empty handed. The two Zambian sides qualify for the next round. According to sources in Zambia,there was remarkable improvements in the performances of Tom Zimbabwean teams in today’s games. A Zimbabwean Coach based in Lusaka,Martin Muchena who played a huge role in helping in the preparations for the Zambian boys team feels there is room for Zimbabwean junior teams.

“Look Sekuru,the difference between the two sides in both categories is in preparations”,Muchena said. He alluded to the fact that Zambian teams were evidently well prepared compared to their neighbors. “Sekuru” ,as the coach is affectionately called acknowledged the tactical changes in the Zim boys team but feels the Zambians were ready to deal with what their southern neighbors were throwing at them.

He thinks today’s was more of a chess game and a marvel to watch. Zimbabwe boys started off on a very good note and led the proceedings up to around the third quarter. They attacked the basket with the Zambians playing a 1:3:1 which failed to give intended results as the shooters struggled to get easy drives. Zambia tried 3s that were not coming. Things changed to Zambia’s way way into the third quarter when 3 pointer attempts began to come in.

The story of the Zimbabwean girls was always a case of so near and yet so far. They would hang in there ;keep the result respectable but on the receiving end. Yet another bad day in the office for Coaches Tawanda Nemutambwe and Skumbuzo Voosa Ndhlovu. …and yet another headache for Joe Mujuru and his team at BUZ office. There is yet another junior teams qualifiers coming and Zimbabweans expect a change of approach on preparations

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Zimbabwe CUCSA men capture gold The Zimbabwe CUCSA men’s were crowned the Confederation of University and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) Zone 6 games basketball champions in Pretoria,SA after a stelar performance against their northern neighbors in the final and battle of the Zambezi. Zimbabwe took a 16 point game and the bragging rights between the two nations. They won 96-80 in what looked more like revenge. Only three or so weeks ago;Zimbabwe U18 girls and boys came back home empty handed after they were walloped 2-0 in a two games series FIBA Afro qualifiers. The Zimbabwean side were just in a class of their own and have been posting very impressive results in the recent competition. They conducted a clinic over Botswana we th an embarrassing result. They won 102-53 in what the game’s fraternity calls ‘tonning’ after they posted a tonne plus in the semifinals. Norman Chimukanda proved just too strong in this game and scored 18 points with Tashinga Chiimba closely behind with 15 points to his record. Tashinga Chiimba then took control of the final against Zambia to score 30 points. He was however outsmarted by Jacob Mushinge who scored 35 points for Zambia. Mushinge’s score and total for his country was however not good enough to stop Zimbabwe to be crowned the tournament’s champions. According to reports by respected scribe Junior Yele in SA;Zambia never stopped to fight and especially in the second half where they pushed and pushed but however found Zimbabwe very solid. The Zimbabwe CUCSA ladies however were not so luck and bowed out in the semifinals. They lost in a very tense encounter that went to OT at 59-59 against Zambia ladies. The former looked on course with Tadiwa Mabika in her usual beast mode ‘cooking and cooking eating’ according to Yele who was watching the games. Zimbabwe was leading by 7 points way in the third quarter. They then somehow lost the plot in the final quarter. Zambia led by a point with 1.25 mins to play

Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge

What the coaches had to say as the tournament progressed

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Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎 Getrude Kim, Timothy Chichi Mungwali

Bravehearts International Basketball Tournament

More teams wanted to take part in this year’s tournament;the organizers had to limo the numbers due to time limitations.

FIBA Afro Zone 6 qualifying match

Zambia vs Zimbabwe game 2 highlights between the boys sides.

Malawi Bravehearts International Basketball Tournament.

The tournament director Kuda Zvareva giving some insights on the tournament running from 5-8 July 2024 in the Malawi capital Lilongwe.

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎 Getrude Kim, Timothy Chichi Mungwali

He was our very own as a basketball fraternity in Southern Africa. Late Malawian VP Saulos Chilima on the basketball court. MHSRIP

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Cuthie Mutan, Martin Muchena, Troy Chapwanya

ZIBT 2024 Champions

Zimbabwe basketball national ladies champions UZ Sparks are ZIBT (Zambia International Basketball Tournament) champions after dismissing Lusaka Queens in the final today at NASDEC in Zambia capital