Basketball in Africa

ZIMBABWE'S basketball chief is confident of clinching a berth at the 2007 All-Africa Games at the expense of five regional countries coming to Harare for the Zone VI qualifiers next week.
South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola and Malawi are expected in the capital for the joint preliminary qualifiers for the All Africa Games and the African National Championships.The qualifiers, to be played on a round-robin format at the City Sports Centre, start on Monday up to Saturday.
The All Africa Games are scheduled for Algeria in September, with the African Nations Championships set Angola later.
Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola will have male and female participants while Angola and Malawi will only send male participants for the championships.
Simeon Lawson, administrator of the qualifiers, said Zimbabwe had assembled strong squads they had faith in."We want to go to the All Africa Games and the African Nations Championships as well," said Lawson. "We have high chances of coming out as winners because we have a strong squad that we hope will do well.
"We played more than five games as preparations. Zimbabwe won all the matches against Zambia and we hope that continues."

Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia pulled out of the zonal qualifiers.