Basketball in Africa

KHOMAS Basketball Association (KBA) League Director Allan Nghixulifwa allegedly assaulted Polytechnic Blues player Penda Hashoongo on Sunday.
Hashoongo told The Namibian Sport yesterday that Nghixulifwa attacked him before a friendly match between Poly Blues and Ocean Splash at the University of Namibia basketball court.
The small forward and captain of Poly Blues believes the "shock" attack may have been sparked by a comment he (Hashoongo) made on the social network Facebook a week earlier.
According to Hashoongo, who has since opened a case of assault against Nghixulifwa (CR229/04/13) with the police, the post had made no reference to Nghixulifwa as it only intimated that he intended to register his team for the upcoming season.
However Nghixulifwa is understood to have taken exception to the post and instructed Hashoongo to delete the post, a directive which the latter ignored.
"He just walked up to me and punched me in the stomach and pushed me against the wall and choking me. He said he was tired of my sh*t," Hashoongo said.
While Nghixulifwa confirmed the attack, he declined to give his version of the story but hinted at personal differences between him and Hashoongo.
"I don't want to say much on what happened. All I can say is that what happened between Penda and I was not a matter between an official and a player," Nghixulifwa said.
Hashoongo claims that he and Nghixulifwa are not acquaintances and that he reported the assault to the KBA authorities on Monday.
"I don't know him outside of basketball. I don't know why he attacked me. I followed him to ask why he punched me and he just walked away. It doesn't make sense," Hashoongo said.
KBA president Isak Nahum said this was a personal dispute which had nothing to do with basketball.
"If there is a case opened with the police then we must let the police deal with it. I have spoken to both men and told them to resolve the matter amicably and not drag the basketball fraternity into disrepute," Nahum said.