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Ronald Mashinga, Sports Reporter

THE Basketball Union of Zimbabwe boys and girls Under-18 3X3 tournament will be held at Petra College this weekend.

The tournament serves as one of the selection processes for the Zimbabwe team that will represent the country in the IBF Young Lions Cup in Botswana next year.

Other similar national team selection competitions will also be held in Harare, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare, Marondera and Masvingo.

The 3X3 basketball is a version of the game played with three players a side scoring at one basketball hoop. 

Each game is 15 minutes long or ends when one team reaches 21 points, whichever comes first.

“Each team comprises four players, three on the field and one as a substitute. We have teams from Bulawayo and others from Matabeleland South,” said BUZ competitions president Yesaya Ignatious.

“Due to our economic difficulties, we could not conduct trials at one venue, so  we opted to hold them in different cities and towns. After teams qualify in their areas, they will proceed to the national finals in Gweru on November 1 where the national squad will be selected,” said Ignatious. 

The IBF Young Lions World Cup was introduced in 2017 and Zimbabwe won both the boys’ and girls’ categories out of nine African countries that participated.