The ManicaPost
Daniel Mhonda Post Correspondent
PREPARATIONS for this year’s National Basketball Club Championships edition set for Mutare are at an advanced stage, an official has said.
Following qualification tournaments which were held last week, the country was divided into two regions — the Northern region (Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland East, West and Central) and the Southern region (Bulawayo, Midlands, Masvingo, Mat North and South). The teams from the regions will battle it out from May 3 to May 5.
The two finalists will represent Zimbabwe in the Zone 5 club championships.
Manicaland Basketball Association official Tonderai Shasha told The Post Sport that both the teams and administration were ready for the tournament.
“We will have 24 teams in both the men and women categories coming from all the provinces that will battle it out in the National Club Championships. Preparations are at an advanced stage. We are finishing up on the venues that they may accommodate evening games as well. We are looking forward to good competition since we have tried to select few teams from all the provinces,” he said.
He said there had been a huge shift by most of the teams this year with most of them showing remarkable improvement.
“Seeing that those that used to be better could not even qualify for the competition, for example Raiders, which was last years’ silver medalists is an indication of how tough the competition is.
“We are expecting an exciting competition that will re-brand basketball country wide,” said Shasha.
Shasha said they are expecting much from Manicaland representatives, the Mercenaries, who are the defending champions.
For women, many have their money on Harare league debutants, Harare City Hornets.
