High hopes for basketball boys in Durban tourney

13 May, 2005

^{Long on talent: South Africa’s Under-18 basketball squad. Picture: Siyabonga Maphumulo}

By Siyabonga Maphumulo

The battle lines have been drawn for the 15th Under-18 Africa Junior Men’s Basketball Championships which is due to take place in the city later this month.

The tournament, which will feature 12 African countries, has been described by Basketball SA President Vusi Mgobhozi as “an event which will showcase the country’s position on the world map to host more World Cups apart from the approaching 2010 soccer World Cup.”

While most of the teams are expected to arrive in Durban on 26 July, the South Africans have already set up camp in the city in readiness for the eight-day showdown. Although the South African team is yet to prove its mettle on the court after an unconvincing showing four years ago in the same tournament in Egypt, team coach Craig Daniels is confident of better results this time around.

Attitude

“In terms of attitude and skill we are better than four years ago, our primary goal at this year’s tournament is to improve and we aim to take our run all the way to the semi-final round.”

Daniels said the team, which had suffered defeat in Egypt had no exposure at an international level. He said that the current outfit would use the home crowd advantage to put on an offensive worth applauding.

“We’ve got eight KwaZulu-Natal boys in the team and we encourage the public to come out and appreciate the fighting spirit these youngsters will show,” he said.

Council Executive Committee member Nomvuzo Shabalala, who was standing in for Mayor Obed Mlaba, said the games went a long way in showing why Durban is considered “South Africa’s playground”.

She said all the teams would receive a very warm reception when they arrived in the city. The contending countries are: Angola (who were the 2002 runner’s up), Burkina Faso, Congo, Cote de viore, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria (who won the 2002 Champions), South Africa and Zambia.

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