Basketball in Africa

American National Basketball Association (NBA) has picked 18-year-old Chimwemwe Jeremiah from Mzuzu as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for further observation after he was noticed from 50 other participating youths during a one-day clinic organised by Coca-Cola Africa Foundation at the African Bible College gymnasium in Lilongwe.
He would participate in further training in South Africa in August next year while 15- year-old Tanaka Chikhosi from Lilongwe came second.
Basketball Association of Malawi (Basmal) identified players from all the country's regions.
Basmal general secretary James Gwaza said the national association identified the talent through regional coaches.
“I think if you look back even in basketball, we have gone into oblivion for the past five years,” Gwaza said. “If we can nurture these 50 youths in a camp, train them for one year or two, we should have very good players of basketball in the country.”
Masai Ujiri and Jarim Akana from the Denver Nuggets, NBA's international scouts, conducted the clinic.
“I think by organising more events like this the coaches would learn more,” Akana said. “We came here not only to coach the players but to train and encourage the coaches.
“They have to keep on working with the kids and do more camps and clinics, that way, basketball will continue to progress at the grassroots,” he said.
The NBA scout said basketball in the country lacked coaching and facilities but said there was enthusiasm from youths to learn the sport.
The coaching clinics are an extension of Sprite Top 100 camp, an annual event that takes place in South Africa.

The Basketball Dar es Salaam (BD) has named 17 clubs, which will vote in the general election set for tomorrow in Kinondoni.
BD Acting Secretary General Mbaga Mwamboma named the clubs as Pazi, Vijana, Oilers, Chang’ombe, Ilala Flats, ABC, Magereza, UDSM Outsiders (UDSM), Cargo, JKT Headquarters, Bias, Police Dar, Tanblacks, Don Bosco, Mbezi Beach, TM Rockets and Chui.
Mwamboma said each club would be represented by four voters in the election to be supervised by Dar es Salaam Sports Committee.
Voters are chairman, secretary general and two representatives of players.
He said Harbour and Sinza Worriers would not be allowed to vote because they had failed to send the names of their voters.
The election would see 15 candidates contesting in various posts. Candidates for the chairman post are Simon Msoffe, Abdallah Njovu and Syllersaid Mziray.
Others are James Mwakamele (vice president), Mbaga Mwamboma, Mary Mbaga (secretary general), Evarist Mapunda, Amina Kayeke (schools and children commission).
There are also Judith Ilunda, Rehema Malenga (women’s commission), Ephraim Kibonde (plans and development), Jimmy Mkongo (coaches’ commission), Magreth Mtake, Christina Lwambani (treatment) and Gosbert Boniface (technical commission).
The disabled commission, referees and finance director have no candidates.

Former MTN basketball league champions Makerere Sparks have made a re-enforcement in by recruiting three young players.
The trio of shooting guards Grace Oguti, Shilla Atim and Harriet Otim was part of the team that won the women's inter university basketball title last week at Ndejje.
Sparks team manager Ms. Peninah Kabenge told Daily Monitor that the three first year student players will play for the side in next season's campaign.
Sparks are set to lose inspirational shooting guard Agatha Baliddawa who has been hooked by rivals KCC Leopards.
The Mayor's side paid the player's accommodation fee for two semesters on top of promising to pay her tuition for the rest of her semesters.
Meanwhile, Leopards and record champions Lady Bucks are set to strengthen their sides ahead of the MTN 2006 league season. The two women clubs have shown interest in signing the Kyambogo trio of Rosemell Jopa Witti, Nuruh Nakitto and Juliet Aneno.
"They are good players and they can play in the league against any side.They are still young and talented and I think a strategic club should do any thing to recruit them," KCC coach Juruni Mande said.
Former champions Lady Bucks are also reportedly interested in the three players. Bucks lost two important players Brenda Mbone (to KCC) and Hadijja Kiiza (to KIU) and this hampered their title aspirations this season as they lost the final 3-1 to new champions and perennial rivals A-I Challenge.

THE Harare Basketball Association is making frantic efforts to raise funds to sustain their league up to the end of the season.
The league has taken a three-week break and will resume play in the second weekend of January
Since losing their deal with entertainment giants Ikon Entertainment in 2004, HBA has been running without a sponsor and they are now finding it difficult to cope with the rising costs of running the league.
The league executive has since started fundraising for the league and this has seen them introducing payments for the fans at the gates and selling foodstuffs at the matches.
However, one of their biggest fundraising event is on tonight at the Athenaeum Hall where they will hold the Miss Basketball Harare. Committee member of the HBA Tendai Zhakata said they hope people will turn out in their hundreds for the fundraising event.
"We have managed to secure some sponsors for the event and all seems to be going on well.
"As widely known, we failed to manage a sponsor at the begging of the season and in all our efforts we are trying to raise as much money as we can if we are to sustain the league" said Zhakata.
By Paul Munyuki from http://www.herald.co.zw

Nigeria senior female national today confirm its superiority over other African countries when it came from behind to beat Senegal 64-57 points in a pulsating final encounter.
The Nigerian side took the first quarter by 22-18 points only to surrender the leadership to Senegal in the second and third quarters 13-17 and 12-16 but came out strongly in the fourth and decisive quarter to overwhelm the Senegalese who could only manage 6 points to Nigeria 17.
Nigeria captain Mfon Udoka was also voted the Most valuable Player, MVP of the championship.

The national female Basketball team, D’Tigress, yesterday night qualified for next year’s World Women Basketball Championship in Brazil after seeing off their Congolese counterpart in an excruciating semi-final duel at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium, Abuja.
A late flurry by the home side saw them overcome the Democratic Republic of Congo with 78-66 points in a gripping contest. It was an end-to-end stuff at the beginning with both teams sizing each other up until the D’Tigress captain Mfon Udoka freed her side with two notching shots. Nigeria led 27-16 at the end of the first chukker. Udoka and Mactabene Amachree were impressive.
The second quarter witnessed the Congolese spearheaded by U.S.-based Mabika Wmadi, Kalunda Lumanu and Kalundi Masau rallying back to reduce the tally by five points (29-24), but at half time, Nigeria was leading with 42-33 points.
However, the Lady Tigers began the third quarter on a casual note allowing the Congolese to seize initiative with the amazing Kitoko at the centre of their revival. With the D’Tigress, once again, showing signs of fatigue, the Congolese took the lead at 49-47. The game reached its crescendo at this stage as the vociferous fans urged the home side on. However, litany of errors and momentary loss of concentration combined to deny the Lady Tigers a quick resurrection. At this point, the Nigerians were trailing and badly needed some inspiration, and they got it through their captain Udoka, who was playing her best game in this tournament.
With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Funmilayo Ojelabi scored a three-point throw to bridge the gap at 51-50. But the Lady Tigers enjoying a good spell blew away three chances at the basket in dizzying succession. Until Udoka notched another three-point to push Nigeria ahead, the home team supporters had their hearts in their mouths. Almost immediately, Congo’s Lumanu, who was having a good game replied back to level the score line at 55-55. The exhilarating quarter ended all-square at 58-58 after Rashidat Sadiq failed to bury two great opportunities.
The Lady Tigers shrugged off their lethargy in the fourth quarter and were librated by Ojelabi’s three-point shooting. Her exploits put Nigeria ahead at 69-64 with the fans, already sighting a final ticket, chanting: “Ose, Ose Ose ohh! Ose Baba!” And they had enough cause to celebrate, when Udoka initiated a rare counter-attack and unleashed Ojelabi to score with just 19 seconds remaining. The Congolese were in disarray. And Amachree compounded their woes with two more points to take the score line to 75-66. The central Africans showed their ugly side, when Mwadi was sent off by the referee for dissent to the chagrin of her coaches and team mates.
When Ojelabi finished off the tie with a remarkable three-points throw, the hall erupted into ecstasy and elation. The defending champions are on course.
The Lady Tigers will now face their staunchest foes, Senegal, who defeated Mozambique 66-37 in the other semi-final. The final of the championship tonight promises to be another cracker.

Saturday Results:
Group-A:
Mali 93, Togo 26
Senegal 77, Cape Verde 39

Group-B:
Niger 53, Gabon 38
Congo 53, Angola 52

Monday Pairing:

Group-A:
Togo Vs Senegal
Nigeria Vs Mali

Group-B:
Mozambique Vs Niger
Gabon Vs Angola

THE turnout wasn't that good but on the court, the players enjoyed themselves and at the same time entertained the small crowd.

The charity match was played at the Palais des Sports Saturday December and organised to raise funds for former Seychelles and Premium Cobras playmaker Nigel Ah-kong who has been struggling to regain full fitness after an illness.
The match was played between two mixed selections. The local selection was made up of players like Cyril Agrippine, Lenny Aglaé, James Beier (Premium Cobras), Barry Baron, Jim Domingue (PLS Hawks), Steven Servina (Angels), Jean-Paul Camille (SMB Razorback), Dave Roseline (Baya), Daniel Hoareau and Nigel Sinon (MBU Rockers) to name a few.
Ugoh (Baya), Stephen Omony (PLS Hawks), Reuben Kolawole, Mohammed Ozegya Buhari (Premium Cobras), four of the five foreigners playing for local teams, joined forces with Biko Biong, Giovanni Laval, the Sylla brothers Amadou and Abdel as well as Ah-kong's sons Reggie and Sergio.
They lost 72-76. But it wasn't the score that counted. It was the will to play for a good cause.
During half-time, players from both selections took turns to display their dunking skills.
Despite paying an entrance fee of R15, spectators willingly made financial contributions and according to a spokesperson for the organising committee, R4,000 has been raised.
Speaking to Sports Nation, Steve Hoareau, a member of the organising committee, had this to say:
"For the first time that we organise such a charity match for a former basketballer we are quite happy with the turnout, but we expect it to be better in future."
For his part, PLS Hawks' Jim Domangue said:
"I think it was a good idea to organise such a match, but the turnout was low because people are busy during this festive season. A match between Premium Cobras and PLS Hawks would have attracted a bigger crowd, but I was still expecting basketball fans to fill up the Palais des Sports in aid of a person who has given everything for his country and club."
A member of Nigel Ah-Kong's family said that the former player was too emotional to be present at the match.
He thanked every basketballer and all spectators who contributed generously.

The league debutantes, TZ Prisons, were the best new team in the 2005 edition of the Kili RBA League, after clinching the third position overall behind Cargo Ladies and Jeshi Stars.
The team’s best player in the tournament was Naima Boli. The tallest player of the tournament emerged the best defender in the women’s category.
Boli and her teammate, Mary Kimata, said they were impressed with their team’s good performance in this year’s league despite it being their first time.
“We never thought to finish this way, but we are all highly motivated with what we managed to achieve, and hope to put on a better performance next season,” they said. Boli said she expected in next year’s league to have a more polished side in both departments.
“We will use well the remaining time before the 2006 league for technical improvement so that when the league starts, we should have reached the levels of JKT Queens, Cargo Ladies and Jeshi Stars,” said Boli.
TZ Prisons excelled over other league newcomers, Police Queens and JKT Mgulani, to become the team that posed threats to the league veterans.

JKT’s top marksman, Charles Makene, emerged the Most Valuable Player in this year’s season of the Kili RBA League that climaxed over the weekend at Tanesco Courts, in Dar es Salaam.
Also a national team player, Makene received a Tsh. 500,000 cheque from Phocus Laswai, the Public Affairs Director of Tanzania Breweries Limited, and the main sponsor of the league for about ten years.
Also awarded on the occasion were Juma Kisoky of JKT, who received Tsh. 300, 000 for the best defender, while Vijana’s player, Mohamed Ally Dibo likewise pocketed Tsh. 300, 000 as the top scorer of the Kili RBA League in the men’s sector.
In the ladies’ sector, Cargo Queens’ player, Monica Aloyce took the Most Valuable Player title while Jabu Shaaban of Jeshi Stars emerged the best scorer of the league.
TZ Prisons produced Naima Bori as the best defender, while Cargo Stars coach Omary Bakari was named the best coach of the tournament.
In the final match, Jeshi Stars player Rose William was the best player of the final matches, while Michael Mwita took the same title in the men’s sector.

A last minute mistake saw titleholders Jeshi Stars losing their title to Cargo Stars in the fiercely fought final of the Kili RBA League, which ended over the weekend at Tanesco Ground in Kinondoni Municipality.
Cargo Ladies clinched the Kili RBA Trophy for the first time after walloping Jeshi Stars 57-54. Jeshi Stars have headed the league 8 times, while JKT Queens and Cargo Ladies have each managed once.
Just one minute before the final whistle was enough to see Jeshi Stars’ lead disappear.
The team’s head coach benched Penina Igwe for Sabina Joseph, and the gap was big enough for Cargo Ladies to slot home the much needed points.
Jeshi Stars started the game well and ended the first quarter leading 12-6 and kept it up to 24-18 until the end of the first half.
Things became too tough for the Cargo Ladies in the third quarter when Jeshi Stars looked far superior to their opponents to make it 46-37 until the end of the quarter.
Things changed completely in the last quarter when Cargo Ladies regained their winning touch that reduced the margin at an alarming pace. In that quarter, Cargo Ladies scored 20 points against 8 added by Jeshi Stars.
Monica Aloyce of Cargo Stars was the star of the match with 17 points, followed by Jabu Shaaban of Jeshi Stars who scored 11 points.
In the men’s sector, JKT managed to defend their title after beating Savio 53-50. Charles Makene, Tumsifu Apollo, Juma Kissocky and Asharaf Haruna were the stars of the match for JKT.
In the ladies’ play-off, TZ Prisons took the second runners-up position after JKT Queens who failed to appear at the venue.

The goal of this blog, it is to divulge the basketball of english language in Africa.
We will go to appeal of newspaper's "clips", articles of magazines, information of other "sites", of the FIBA Africa, of national federations, as well as data supplied for friends and other enthusiastic ones of the African basketball.