Bulawayo to host regional Basketball tourney

Bulawayo will next month play host to the Zone Six Basketball Club Championships.

The tournament will held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) from October 21 to October 29, 2018.

This will be the first time the National Championships are hosted in Bulawayo and the second time they will be hosted in Zimbabwe.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Sikhumbuzo Vusa Ndlovu, local organising committee general manager said Zimbabwe was assigned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), an international body that controls basketball, to host the tournament.

“We were given the mandate on 13 September to host the Zone Six qualifiers,” said Ndlovu.

“As you would know, Zone Six is a region that is part of Africa constituting of SADC countries. We have 10 countries in this region that will be part of the tournament”.

Twenty six teams of both male and female teams are expected from the region.

“Each country is supposed to send four delegates, two male and two female teams that will compete,” said Ndlovu.

“Qualifiers of the National Championships will proceed to the World Continental Championships”.

Ndlovu said the top female teams in the tournament will proceed to Maputo for the World Continental Championships slated for November 9, 2018.

He added: “For the males, FIBA is introducing a new format whereby they are starting an Afro-league. Top teams will play an Inter-regional league and they will join two representatives from five regions to start the league.”

“We are the first to host the Afro-league tournament and so it comes at an advantage. The actual dates have not yet been announced”.

Ndlovu said hosting the championships has come with a lot of benefits for the hosting city and the Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (BUZ).

Bulawayo will also benefit through tourism since the tournament will not only attract basketball players, it will bring in a lot of visitors from different countries.