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Geophrey Sifani Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Basketball Veterans’ Association (BBVA) secretary-general Sinda Mono has urged the game’s administrators to cast their nets wider to include smaller towns as part of efforts to revive the game. Mono said the talent he witnessed at the Kamandama Memorial Basketball tournament held in Hwange at the weekend was amazing and this was an indication that basketball could soon be on the rise.

“Victoria Falls is awash with talent and the boys are so passionate. If the right programmes are introduced, they have the potential to be national team players,” said Mono.

He said the BBVA would push for the building of a basketball court in Victoria Falls to ensure that the talent he witnessed is not lost. “We’re also going to hold a series of tournaments in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South as part of our mission to spread the game to all corners of Zimbabwe,” he said.

The Kamandama tournament featured four men and two women’s teams from Bulawayo, Gweru, Hwange and Victoria Falls.

Hwange Heats, Black Dimes, Unicorns and Mosi Radics were among the men’s teams while Black Dimes and Angels from Bulawayo were the only women’s teams that took part in the event.

Angels beat Black Dimes 36-7 to walk away with the winners’ trophy and Gweru’s Unicorns overcame Hwange Heats 53-22 in the final to lift the men’s event.

Shannaz Sybil of Angels was voted the women’s Most Valuable Player, while Gannon Gundani of Unicorns clinched the men’s award. Donovan Mwale of Black Dimes and Brilliance Ncube of Angels were the tournament’s top scorers.