basketball - The African Mirror

Mar

2021

Mismanagement crippled SA basketball

LEE NXUMALO BASKETBALL, once the fastest-growing sport in South Africa, now hardly has recognisable leagues or talents. A group of campaigners have come together to get it thriving and growing again. He increased popularity of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the global front and the presence of African-born players in the league has given basketball cultural currency among the continent’s youth. Even though basketball had a presence in South Africa since apartheid, its popularity reached its peak only in the late 1990s. At one point, it was considered the fastest-growing sport in the country and on track to becoming…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

South Sudan women’s basketball team – stars on the rise

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO SOUTH Sudan is still on a high after their senior men’s team qualified for their maiden African Basketball championship (AfroBasket) tournament, and the prospects of the women’s team replicating the same feat are looking greater and greater. President of the South Sudan basketball federation, and former National Basketball Association (NBA) All-star, Luol Deng has helped provide the world a glimpse of what South Sudan as a basketball nation is capable of. Deng saw his senior men’s team qualify for the International Basketball Association (FIBA) AfroBasket tournament, scheduled for late-August 2021 in Rwanda, in their first time of asking.…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

The golden quartet of Afrobasket

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO FORTY games - over 2016 minutes - of blood, sweat and some tears during thrilling action at the African Basketball Championship (Afrobasket) have produced the continent’s top four basketball nations. The qualifying window, which took place in the two cities Monastir, Tunisia and Yaounde Cameroon, produced four teams, reigning Champions Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Egypt who outclassed their group mates. These four teams have yet to lose a fixture in the six qualifying games played and seek to take their brilliant form into the Afrobasket finals held in Kigali, Rwanda from August 24 to September 5. Tunisia,…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria off to a great start

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO OPENING day of the African basketball championship (Afrobasket) qualifiers started in electrifying fashion in Monastir with Nigeria staking their claim as Africa’s finest. Nigeria prevailed as winners (75-70) against an impressive South Sudan team in the latter’s first continental competition. D’Tigers (Nigeria national men’s team) had to pry the victory away from the determined South Sudan team coached by former National Basketball Association (NBA) All-star Luol Deng. https://twitter.com/AfroBasket/status/1362137886557155328 Currently ranked number one in Africa, under the guidance of new head coach Mdon Udofia, Nigeria booked their ticket to the main Afrobasket showcase scheduled for late 2021. Point guard…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Africa’s prime basketball showcase starts

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO THE best of Africa’s basketball talent will be on show tomorrow when the qualifications for the continent elite tournament - the African Basketball Championship (AfroBasket) - kicks off in Tunisia. A total of 12 teams will participate in the qualifying tournament, hosted in Monastir- Tunisia. Qualifying teams will take part in AfroBasket finals scheduled for Kigali, Rwanda, later this year. Monastir will play host to groups A, D, and E. Rwanda, which is in group D, has already qualified by being the host of the final tournament which will take place later this year. Group A consists of…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Road to basketball Olympic gold

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO THE stage is set for the ultimate battle of the hoop to see who will qualify to challenge the highest prize in world basketball - Olympic gold - in 2021. The draw for the 2021 Men’s olympic tournament took place today and has affirmed spectators' assumptions that there will be no shortage of entertainment for international basketball fans at this year’s Olympics. Nigeria, one of Africa’s top teams, will face off against Australia, and the winners of the Olympic Qualifying tournaments (OQT) held in Lithuania and Serbia. Belgrade in Serbia will play host to Senegal, New Zealand, Puerto…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Africa’s bright basketball showcase

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO BASKETBALL’S eyes shifted to Africa as national teams gathered in Kigali, Rwanda for the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers. The first phase of continental competition between Africa’s hopefuls gave a sneak peek to which teams have distinguished themselves as frontrunners for the title. Nigeria’s head coach, Mike Brown is of the opinion that if the right things are put in place by African basketball federations, many teams can compete favourably with the best in the world. Teams have commenced preparations for the third window of the qualifiers between February 19 - 21, 2021. Brown, who is on his maiden…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Top stars in Nigeria basketball squad for AfroBasket qualifiers

SPORT, BASKETBALL

BOITUMELO RANTAO NEWLY- appointed Nigerian senior men’s basketball head coach Mike Brown has released a 20 man provisional list for the 2021 Afrobasket qualifiers. The premier African basketball event will be hosted in Kigali, Rwanda between 27th and 29th, November. Currently ranked 26th globally and 1st in Africa, Nigeria is grouped alongside host- Rwanda, Mali and Algeria in Group D. Brown, former National Association (NBA) Coach of the Year, who will officially start his journey with Nigeria, submitted a list featuring 7 players who featured at the 2019 FIBA World Cup where Nigeria qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo. Captain,…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Somali women’s basketball team defy prejudice, hostility

SPORT

ABDI SHEIKH WHISTLES screech on the sea breeze as three female Somali coaches inspect a line of women in black and blue headscarves dribbling basketballs. It's not just the heat that makes it hard: the women are also braving the scorn of their families and the threat of attack by gunmen who think women should not play sport publicly. "We cannot openly say we are going to play. We put our playing clothes and shoes in school bags and carry them that way to the field and we pretend we are going to school or university," said Fardawsa Omar Ahmed,…

Jul

2020

By The African Mirror

Africa’s basketball great builds a school

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO DIKEMBE Mutombo, one of Africa’s greatest basketball legends, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) global ambassadors is ploughing back to the community that raised him. Mutombo has unveiled his plans to build a new school in his ancestral village, Kasai-Oriental Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In honour of the NBA Hall of Famer’s late father, who served as an educator for 38 years before his retirement, the school will be named the Samuel Mutombo Institute of Science and Entrepreneurship. Mutombo, an active figure in development of several communities within the DRC and around the…