Basketball in Africa

By Renatha Msungu

Tanzania Basketball Federation is in search of funds to meet import duty payment of 210 basketballs kindly donated by the world governing body, FIBA.

The balls are being held at customs at the Julius Nyerere International Airport as TBF has so far failed to raise one million shillings to pay for the import duty charges.

TBF’s secretary general Lawrence Cheyo said his body is broke to meet charges and he is worried of imminent demurrage charges that might pile up.

Cheyo has made a call to whoever is capable to bail out the body for timely release of the balls. FIBA has donated the balls to be distributed countrywide as a move to promote the game.

Meanwhile, Cheyo has insisted for more teams to register for the national basketball championships set for next month in Dar es Salaam.

So far several teams have expressed their intention to compete in the tourney, including Savio, Cargo Ladies, Don Bosco and other teams from Mwanza, Shinyanga, Dodoma, Morogoro, Mbeya and Arusha.