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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter

BULAWAYO Basketball Association (BBA) secretary-general Francis Dube says their provincial team has prepared well for the Under-23 Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (BUZ) inter-provincial basketball tournament in Harare this weekend.

The inter-provincial tournament is scheduled to run from February 21-23 and will also be used as a platform to identity future senior national team players.

Last month, BUZ played host to the Fiba Afro Basket pre-qualifiers at the City Sports Centre in Harare from January 21-26. 

Zimbabwe failed to progress to the next stage of the qualifiers after losing three of their four encounters. 

Dube emphasised the need to invest in development teams to improve the various national sides’ performances.

“We will be taking a break from our league schedule for the inter-provincial tournament in Harare. This promises to be an exciting tourney and l believe our province has a very competitive team,” said Dube.

This year’s edition will see both men and women’s teams from the country’s provinces competing in the usual 5 versus 5 and 3×3 meets. The 3×3 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. – @innocentskizoe