Basketball Africa League - The Big Tip Off

Majok talks BAL ambition and life after the game

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WHEN it comes to life after basketball, Ater Majok is already clear on which path he will follow when the curtain falls and he takes a final bow from the game.

The US Monastir centre says he wants to engage more in philanthropic endeavours on the African continent. He has already targeted the kind of projects he wants to be involved in.

“I have a passion for helping out at orphanages and building homes on the continent. It’s where my heart lies and where my focus is,” said Sudan-born Majok, who spoke to The Big Tip Off via Zoom.

Although his name is synonymous with basketball, Majok stated he will have very little to do with the game once his playing days are over.

“You will not see me in the basketball sector very often. Maybe now and then, I’ll do something related to basketball, but once I put that ball down and hang up my shoes, it will be rare that I’m seen on the court,” said 34-year-old Majok, emphasising his goal-orientated nature. “I am a person who sets goals for himself. Once that is done, I close that chapter and move on to the next one. I am nearing the end of my career. So, I feel like I am satisfied and I have given everything. I am happy with where I am. There is no point in looking back to ask yourself what could have been.”

**Ater Majok has prepared himself for life after the game. Pictures: Basketball Africa League**

Majok, who once lived in Australia as a refugee, stressed that his desire to give back was born after a harrowing experience during a visit to South Sudan. He also implored other Africans who are in the same position to give their time and money to uplift the continent.

“We as Africans need to start giving back to Africa. We need to start building things by Africans for Africans. That’s where the next chapter of my life will start,” said Majok, who reflected on his visit to South Sudan. “It was in 2016 when I went back home to South Sudan. I saw a couple of orphaned kids, and witnessed one who had passed away on the street. What shocked me is that people were walking past his body with no one wanting to help. It hurt me and I felt it was unacceptable. From that point on, I told myself I must make a difference. I have a name, a voice and resources. I also know the relevant people to speak to. We have to help the next generation of Ater Majoks, Loul Dengs, presidents, ministers or teachers to reach their dreams.”

Majok added: “We need to start looking after these kids. If you look at our kids, even in the diaspora, we are losing them. We need to start taking care of them. If we don’t, there will be a lost African generation.”

The next chapter of Majok’s life is still taking shape, and whilst one eye is focused on the future, the other is firmly placed on the present. The big man is still playing the game at a high level, which he showed in his team’s opening game of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Sahara conference. He is also on a redemption seeking mission following last year’s painful final loss to Egyptian club, Zamalek.

Majok, a former UConn Huskies player, has returned for the second season of the BAL in Dakar, Senegal, and again in the colours of last year’s finalists, US Monastir of Tunisia.

The North African club opened their campaign with a hard-fought 77-71 victory over opponents, Ferroviario da Beira of Mozambique. Majok was a dominant figure for Monastir at both ends of the court on Sunday.

At six-foot-ten, Majok was a defensive anchor for Monastir as he produced four blocks against Beira. In offence, he was a handful for the Mozambican club as he powered his way to 19 points and crashed 12 boards to earn the player of the game award.

While it was not the most polished of performances, Majok says the team will get into its stride when the time arrives.

“Beira played really and hard. There were moments in the game where they also outplayed us,” said Majok. “I must emphasise that our goal is not to peak too early. We want to peak at the right time. Sunday’s game was only the beginning for us. It was not good enough, but we got the win. We have to work hard. So when the time comes, we are at our best.”

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Despite receiving the player of the match accolade, Majok gave credit to his teammates and stated that his focus was on winning the opening game.

“I did not think about the stats. I did not even realise that I had a double-double. For me, it was about getting the victory. Even if I scored 19 points and get 12 rebounds. I give credit to my teammates because of their actions on the court, it freed me up and allowed me to score, and the defensive plays that they executed gave me the opportunity to get rebounds. So it’s not only about myself, credit must also go to the team,” said Majok, who has had a decorated playing career.

Monastir may have started on the right footing with the W over Beira, and as Majok admitted, they took some time to settle into their style of play in their opening game.

The reason could be the team based at the Tunisian coast have different personnel this year. Monastir had to replace international stars Makrem Romdhane and Omar Abada, who both played a crucial role in the team making it to the final in the inaugural tournament. Despite this challenge, Majok took a positive view of the situation.

“We are definitely going to miss the guys that are not here, but we have a good unit. These guys are going to play hard. We are a blue-collar calibre group of players. We are going to out-work and out-hustle every team,” said the veteran Majok. “Everything will be about hard work and trying to prove a point. We are a young team with alot to prove.”

Ivory Coast guard Souleyman Diabate, who won the inaugural BAL season with Zamalek, and American-born Michael Dixon, are the new faces added to the Monastir set up and they were impactful against Beira at different stages of the game.

“I was with my national team when the two signed on for Monastir. I think the coach (Miodrag Perisic) and management did a fine job welcoming and making them feel part of the team,” said Majok, who competes internationally for Lebanon. “Most of us were with our national teams, so Sunday’s game was our first time together.”

In the second instalment of the BAL, Majok is as ambitious as he was ahead of last year’s BAL. He rates his team’s prospects and feels the Tunisian Championnat A side is good enough to win the tournament.

“The goal is not only to reach the final. We want to come in first place. The journey will not be the same. We will have ups and downs. This time we will try a different way of doing things,” said the two-time Championnat A winner. Majok also reflected on what he learned from last year’s final loss against Zamalek.

“I felt like I let my team down and I could have done more in that final. I felt like I should have been carried out on a stretcher because I gave everything. There is nothing else I can say. I’ll have to do my talking on the court,” concluded Majok.

Majok has a second shot at fulfilling his and the team’s ambition at the BAL tournament. He now has the best teacher: experience. Coupled with the latter is his undying desire and competitive edge that could ignite Monastir and make them hard to beat.

*Tuesday’s fixture: US Monastir (Tunisia) vs SLAC (Guinea) at 17:30 (GMT)

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Ground-breaking Liz Mills eyes BAL glory for AS Sale

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THROUGHOUT her time on the African continent, Australia-born Liz Mills has successfully rocked long established traditions in the coaching sphere.

Mills, who has spent over a decade coaching in Africa, has made significant inroads while coaching mostly men’s teams. In the process she achieved major milestones, including as Kenya Morans coach and now in her new role as coach of Moroccan club A.S. Sale.

The former Morans coach, who spoke to The Big Tip Off via Zoom on Monday, became the first woman to qualify and lead a men’s national team to international competition last year. While Mills and Kenya have since gone their separate ways, she reflected on what was a fulfilling time for her.

“It was an exciting, rewarding but also challenging journey. A year ago, I was with the Morans, a team that had not seen the AfroBasket for 28 years. When we qualified, it was a historic moment. Not just for myself as a woman, but for Kenya as a whole. Being able to help them achieve a goal they set in 2019 and leading them to the tournament was rewarding,” said Mills, who felt the eyes of the world on her during the tournament in Rwanda.

Second Picture — **Former Morans coach Liz Mills in discussion with Nigeria coach Mike Brown. Pictures: FIBA**

“I also understood the significance of the occasion. That weighed heavily on me, understanding that I am representing female coaches in the way I carried myself, and how the team performed. It felt like I was always under scrutiny. It was constantly on my mind. I wanted to represent female coaches to the best of my ability. I wanted to make them proud when they saw me leading the way with Kenya.”

Mills would eventually lead the Morans to the playoff round at the AfroBasket, but her time with the East African team came to a surprising end early this year. Both parties have since moved on. While she regards the chapter on the Kenya national team as closed, she still has interest in coaching national teams.

“I knew straight after the AfroBasket I had achieved everything I had wanted with Kenya. I was happy with the time I spent there and to have been a part of their journey, but it was time for me to move on. I’m not shutting the door on working with any team. For the second window of the world cup qualifiers I am available, but my time with Kenya is over. We were going in different directions,” said the A.S. Sale coach, who will become the first woman to lead a team to the Basketball Africa League competition, which tips off on March 5.

It’s not the first time Mills has had contact with the Moroccan Division Excellence club. She initially got in touch with Sale, ahead of the inaugural BAL tournament, but nothing concrete materialised.

“I had reached to Sale two years ago. We tried to work out a way for me to come and coach there. Unfortunately, things did not work either from their side or mine. I was supposed to coach them for the first BAL tournament last year. In the end, it just did not work out,” said the Mills, the first female head coach of Sale.

“Coaching Sale is ground-breaking. There has never been a woman head coach at a North African men’s team at the national or club level. Also, when Sale heads to the BAL, I will be the first woman to lead a men’s team to that tournament. So, I am breaking the barriers as I go along.”

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Apart from achieving career landmarks, joining the 2017 African club champions is a level up for Mills. She feels the team has good management, and their reputation on the continent speaks volumes.

“I wanted a new challenge and to coach a more experienced team, who are also more professional in their approach. A club like A.S. Sale is a prestigious, successful and historic club in Africa. I have also worked a lot in sub-Saharan Africa, so crossing over to the north to engage with a different style of play is something I needed to do as a coach,” said Mills, who will lead Sale to their second BAL appearance.

The former Patriots Basketball Club (Rwanda) assistant coach was also impressed with the talent pool available to Sale for this year’s campaign.

“Any opportunity to work with players of this calibre, be it at the national league or BAL, would be a good experience for myself as a coach. We have great veteran players and a good core of young players coming up, which is exciting for me,” said Mills, whose team imported three lethal scoring weapons and have BAL experience.

The addition of American combo guard Terrell Stoglin, shooting guard Abdoulaye Harouna of Niger and Spanish power forward Alvaro Masa make for an impressive arsenal. Taking the final slot is Kenyan small forward Albert Odero. Sale also have some good local stand out players like veterans Zakaria El Mabashi (guard) and Najah Abderrahim (forward), who Mills holds in high regard.

“We have Zakaria who is a legend on the continent. He is the Eduardo Mingas of Moroccan basketball. He is a sharp shooter. At 42 he has done well to take care of his body. He will do a great job for us coming off the bench. There is also Najah. I think he was the MVP of club championships in 2017. He is also one of the best power forwards in Africa,” said Mills. “The club had already brought in their imports before I got here. I am pleased with them. Terrell, Abdoulaye and Alvaro were the leading scores in the BAL. So we have some firepower. I coached Albert during my time with the Morans. There is a nice mix of offensive talent and defensive stoppers.”

Mills also spoke highly of the eight-time Division Excellence winners’ chances of seizing this year’s BAL title. “This team has a history of success at this level. We aim to win the BAL. That is our goal. We will not be satisfied unless we go out and win the BAL.”

Third Pic — **Liz Mills is confident Sale can go all the way in the BAL tournament.**

Before Sale can even think of winning the BAL tournament, they will first have to navigate their way past a tough Sahara Conference group.

Last year’s finalists U.S. Monastir (Tunisia), are favourites to win the group. Meanwhile five other teams, in the form of Rwanda Energy Group (REG) BBC, Dakar Universite Club (DUC) Basketball, Seydou Legacy Athletique Club (Guinea) and Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique) are dark horses and will look to stand in the way of Sale.

Mills says their group presents a stiff challenge and that whichever team progresses will be better equipped to withstand the knockout stages.

“I think we are in the much harder conference. It’s a great thing because if you can get wins in this group, then the first crossover in the quarter-finals will be a bit easier. After all, the games were much harder,” said Mills, who looks forward to the battle against the Tunisians. “Monastir is the favourite. Most of the players compete for the Tunisian national team. That’s a match-up that excites us. It’s also a great measuring stick for us.”

Mills has already cemented herself in basketball lore for breaking barriers, but she is not one to be content. Her new coaching assignment has heightened her ambition. As she gets ready to steer the A.S. Sale ship, would it be far off the mark to imagine the promised land lies in wait for her?

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Lopez on a mission to put Beira structures back on track

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FERROVIARIO da Beira and their Spanish coach Luis Lopez Hernandez have enjoyed a reunion that has brought about good tidings for the club located in central Mozambique.

While the 55-year-old Spaniard’s second coming to the Beira-based club had to do with matters related to the basketball court, there was also a more sentimental reason for Lopez’s decision to return to Mozambique.

“There were a couple of things. Firstly, my family. My wife was born in Mozambique. My daughter, who is almost four, was born in Spain, and she has never been to Mozambique. So, I wanted her to connect with her family there. This is an opportunity for my wife and daughter to experience the country,” said Lopez speaking from the Canary Islands via Zoom, last Wednesday.

The second reason for Lopez, who led the Locomotivas to two national championships in 2012 and 2014, was the opportunity to work again with the current club president Valdemar Oliviera.

For some time, Beira’s playing structures had gone off the rails. Oliviera, who returned to the club’s presidency via election was on a mission to put them back on track. Returning to a familiar leadership and the challenge of a renewal project was enough to entice Lopez to get on board.

“Boaventura (Mahave), the president in 2019, called me to come back but I was in two minds at the time. Then an election happened, which Valdemar won. That made my decision easy because I had worked with him before,” said Lopez. “So the first reason to return was for my family. The other was so I could work with Valdemar again. When I signed in 2020, it gave us the chance to resume our discussion about our project, involving the senior teams and the lower structures as well.”

Lopez added that before he left Ferroviario da Beira in 2015, they were teeming with players in the male and female teams. He now looks forward to being part of reviving the Beira player pipeline.

“We had 450 players in our club. From junior boys and girls, the cadets and mini-basket. We had many children playing basketball. When I left, somehow it got lost. So when the president came back to the club, I knew he wanted to revive the structures that were present six-seven years ago,” said Lopez, who has been coaching since the age of 18.

Lopez, who has worked with teams that have representation at all levels was also impressed that some players from the junior setup had made their way to the Beira senior squad.

“Basketball is my life. When I worked in Spain, I coached clubs that have all teams. I enjoy helping players develop,” said the experienced Lopez, who led Beira to another national title last year. “When I came back (to Beira), I recognised three players in the first team, who come through the ranks. They were around 12-years-old when I arrived in 2011. Now they are in their early twenties, and I am coaching them. That is something that makes me proud.”

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While the long-term vision for Beira is still in its infancy, the Mozambican club’s senior men’s team have grown wings and qualified for the second edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Lopez oversaw Beira’s impressive qualifying run in the Zonal and Elite 16 Division East tournaments, held in South Africa between October and December. Their only blip was against Tigers in the Zonal qualifiers. Beira would avenge that defeat in the semi-final of the Elite 16 as the Mozambican club finished that leg unbeaten.

Speaking about the qualifying experience, Lopez says he had introduced some changes to how the team approached the game.

“I am happy with our team because we improved a lot. Our first official practice was in July. I could not join the team earlier because of the pandemic. So, I sent many exercise videos to prepare the team. I also received daily feedback from the assistant coaches,” said Lopez, who elaborated on the training program. “We started with a physical program in March last year. Then we moved to improve the players’ skillsets and shooting technique. When I arrived in July, we worked on our tactical approach.”

He added, “I was surprised because at how the team adapted to a new way of playing the game, especially when we started our journey in Mozambique. It’s not easy for players to change a philosophy or style that they have known all their life. In the end, we improved a lot, which we showed in Johannesburg by how we moved and shared the ball.”

Beira’s preparation for the BAL extravaganza started in earnest last week. Unfortunately, their practices have been without their coach Lopez and the team’s key import players in American point guard Will Perry and Canadian guard and forward Jermel Kennedy.

Third Picture — **Ferroviario da Beira coach Luis Lopez Hernandez wants his team to give their best at the BAL**

Lopez, who was still resolving his visa matters, expects Perry and Kennedy back for the national championships in February.

“The team started together last week, without myself and the two foreign players. We are getting ready for the national championships that start in February and finish in March. That will be our preparation (for the BAL). Hopefully Will and Jermel will be back for the nationals,” said Lopez, who expects to bolster the squad with two new players for the BAL tournament taking place in Dakar, Senegal (March 5-15), Cairo, Egypt (April 9-19) and Kigali, Rwanda (May 21-28).

“We want to sign two other players from the continent to complete our team for the BAL. One of them must be able to play at the five position. Also we need someone who can operate outside, a player for the three and four position,” said Lopez, who emphasised what his team required. “We need size. We are not a tall team. The two players we need to sign must be a five and the other a perimeter player, but tall. They must also be players that fit our style of play.”

On the expectations at the BAL tournament, Lopez approached the question with a touch of realism.

“Our goal or expectations are always the same. Every team wants to win, but there can only be one victor at the end. My only concern is that we do our best. That is our goal. We want to do our best every day and in every game,” concluded Lopez.

We have already gotten a glimpse of Beira at their best. It’s hard to find fault with their brand of basketball. With new additions to the team, they can only get better. They may not have the favourites tag, but given how Beira play, they can easily determine how far they go in the BAL tournament.

Lopez on a mission to put Beira structures back on track Read More »

Omondi sharpening Cobra’s fangs ahead of the BAL

Beira and Perry are a good fit for BAL quest

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Beira’s ambition intrigued Perry

FOR most basketball players who ply their trade in overseas leagues, signing long-term contracts is a rarity. In most cases bouncing from one country to another is the norm for most ballers. While the scenario could be unsettling for some players, others choose to embrace the challenge.

The latter applies to American-born point guard William Perry, who now calls Mozambique where he plays for one of the Southern African country’s most famous club, Ferroviario Da Beira, home.

Before wearing the white and green striped vest of Ferroviario, Perry played for CB Zamora (Spain), ADO Basquetbal SAD Ovarense (Portugal) and Akademiks Bulteks 99 Plovdiv (Bulgaria). After another stint in Spain playing for CD Estela Cantabria, the African continent came calling.

Perry, who hails from North Carolina says he has enjoyed traversing Europe, as it has allowed him to experience different cultures.

“I enjoyed it. I like travelling, meeting new people and doing what is best for my career. If it means I experience a little anxiety in the summertime about my next move, it’s okay. I can deal with it,” said the 28-year-old, who goes by the shortened version of his name, Will. “I would say I enjoy that aspect of living out of a suitcase. Of course it’s not as comfortable as playing for a team for five years, but I would not have it any other way.”

The former Lenoir-Rhyne University player says having the chance to be away from home to pursue his basketball dreams helped him mature as a person.

“I have learnt a lot about myself as a person. I found myself and became a man since playing overseas. To live on my own, travelling, making my own decisions and all that stuff. There are some things I had already been doing during my college days, like living by myself,” said Perry. “It was little uncomfortable when you come to a new place on your own. I learnt who I am as a man, what I like to do and don’t like and how to work with others.”

In terms of achievement, Perry says that playing in Portugal and helping Ferroviario in their mission qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) are some career highlights.

“I really joined my time in Portugal. In my second year over there, we made the final four. It was an amazing experience. I had a good season. That propelled my career,” said Perry. “It’s hard to only pick one highlight. I would say what I am doing now, trying to qualify for the BAL, to play in the Basketball Africa League would be the biggest highlight of my career.”

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Perry did have some questions before nailing his colours to the Beira mast. Is the club ambitious, and do they have the right pieces to make it to the BAL?

“My first thought was, do we have a chance to make it to the BAL? Is the club serious? Coming to Africa, you want the opportunity to play at the BAL. The moment I learnt the club was serious, I was on board,” said Perry.

Ferroviario made it to the Elite 16 of the BAL qualifiers after finishing second in the regional stages held at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus, two weeks ago. Led by the playmaking of Perry, the Mozambican’s, finished with a 2-1 record, beating Matero Magic (Zambia) and Roche-Bois Warriors (Mauritius). They would lose a nail-biter against the Cape Town Tigers.

Perry was instrumental for Ferroviario in the opening game against Matero, scoring 12 points and making 10 assists as the Mozambican club strolled to an 81-51 victory. He was impactful in the final game against the Tigers scoring 18 points in Ferroviario’s 86-85 loss.

The experience of playing in the qualifiers was an enjoyable one for Perry, as he felt he fit in well with the Beira club’s setup.

“It was a great experience, I love my team, and I like my coach. In the qualifiers, we lost one game at the end, which was disappointing. I feel we should have won,” said Perry. “We qualified, which was our goal, and we have moved forward.”

Perry picked up some lessons from the qualifiers in Johannesburg and recognised that there were points in the final game where he could have done better. With the Elite 16 looming in December, it gives Perry ample time to rectify the issues he has identified.

“I think I need to do better with the clock management. Closer to the end of the game (against Tigers), I could have done better. I made some silly mistakes, took a bad shot or two. Those are the things I need to work on to get better,” said Perry. “As a team, I think we need to lock in at the end a little more. Do the little things better for us to win. I am confident in this team. We are good and we work well together.”

Perry believes he chose the best city and team to play his basketball on the continent. The floor general says he has already warmed up to the city and can feel a togetherness. He opined that the people of Beira are behind the club and its quest to clinch a spot in the BAL tournament.

“If you ever go to Beira, you’ll see they are really supportive of the club. They are in a great city. The people love the club. They know basketball and love it. They are passionate and want to win,” said Perry. “Estamos Juntos is a great phrase to use. Hopefully, it catches on. It means we are together. Everyone, from players, coaches and fans. We are together.”

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Ntunja believes Tigers have a championship DNA

Sithole feels Tigers have the right tools for BAL mission

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Sithole has exceeded his expectations on the court

THE age of 26 is the middle of an athlete’s prime years. It’s where they develop a level of maturity in their craft and begin their pursuit for greatness or greener pastures.

Well, this is not the case for South African basketball player Thabo Sithole. The KwaZulu-Natal-born point guard is content with what he has achieved on the court at his young age. He has represented South Africa at the 2017 AfroBasket, co-hosted by Senegal and Tunisia and donned the colours of Lithuanian club, Zalgiris Kaunus. In South Africa, Sithole had stints with KZN Basketball National League (BNL) franchises Marlins and the now-defunct Duzi Royals.

“For myself, I have exceeded my expectations in basketball. I did not start as a basketball player. I participated in athletics and played provincial rugby in primary school,” said the former Durban High School pupil. “When I became serious about basketball from grade eight, I never thought I would end up in Europe or represent the country in AfroBasket.”

The journey seems to be getting better for Sithole. He recently joined Mother City club Cape Town Tigers, who are on mission to qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) tournament. Before heading to the Western Cape, Sithole was a part of Jozi Nuggets’ losing effort to qualify for the same tournament at the National Club Championships final in September. Now he sees being part of the Tigers as a way of helping South African basketball.

“I joined Nuggets for two or three months. I came through on the weekends to play matches up here (Gauteng) and go back. After the finals, I felt that I should join the Tigers because you need your best eight South African players and the foreign players to represent the country,” said Sithole. “So, I am for South Africa first. It does not matter if I am wearing the colours of the Cape Town Tigers or Jozi Nuggets, I play basketball for the country.”

“I’m not focusing on the NBA or going back to Europe. I want the best for South Africa. It would be better to help develop basketball here rather than to go overseas, while things here are going nowhere.”

After his overseas sojourn, Sithole realised he needed to explore all avenues to secure his future. He took a break from basketball to focus on his studies.

“When I came back from Lithuania, I realised I do not want to bounce around from country to country, which is the case with players overseas. Sometimes you can get injured. For example, if you hurt your knee, you could be out for a year or two. I did not want that for my life,” said Sithole, who is pursuing his masters in development studies at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). “So when I got back, I told myself, let me look for ways to better myself, so I paused a bit on basketball. It’s difficult to strike that balance, but we are more than just athletes.”

Having played in the BAL qualifiers in 2019 for Jozi Nuggets, Sithole highlighted why the Gauteng side could not progress in their first attempt and why Tigers have a better chance.

“It was tough playing in 2019 because there were some issues. The BNL did not want to release players to help Nuggets. So we only had a few players who could play at that level,” said the UKZN player. “This time around, the team (Tigers) is much stronger. Good players have joined this club. It’s going to be tough, but I think we will manage.

“In this team, there are guys who have played in the NBA. Guys like myself who played for top clubs in Europe and at the AfroBasket. I know the kinds of challenges that might come. There will not be any nerves or panic, because I have experienced such situations before.”

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Sithole is part of a basketball club trying to rock the landscape of South African basketball on the court. Unfortunately, the Tigers’ arrival coincides with a long-time unstable political basketball climate off the court. This is a situation Sithole is both familiar with and has been outspoken about.

“There are people who have been running basketball at national and BNL level. They have been running basketball for a long time. Their treatment of players has not been the best, and there have been many issues,” said Sithole. “I remember coming back from national team duty, they (Basketball South Africa management) took our kits, and the reason given was, ‘there are no funds’, but we found out that the Lotto had given BSA money. Other issues include things not being done on time and if you get injured, it is not clear that there is insurance to cover players.

“It’s unfortunate that those individuals are still in charge. So, when I tweeted to the minister to do something, I was saying somebody from above needs to act. In terms action being taken, things like making sure forensic audits are done and basic good governance would go a long way to remedy the situation. If that does not happen basketball will continue to be in a dark place. ”

Are the Tigers that catalyst for change in South African basketball? Sithole pointed out that South African-owned teams have struggled to attract investment, which has not been an issue for American-backed Tigers. If the newly formed club progress beyond the BAL qualifiers, Sithole hopes both business and government will look at basketball differently.

“What the Tigers are trying to do is a good thing but other clubs are struggling. Tigers are an American-owned team who did not get funding from local banks or mobile telecommunications companies. Maybe this team can help the private sector and government see things differently by qualifying for the BAL,” concluded Sithole.

BAL QUALIFIERS GROUP F

VENUE: UJ SOWETO CAMPUS

FIXTURES:

DAY 1: Thursday

12pm Ferroviario da Beira (MOZ) vs Matero Magic (ZAM)

3pm: Cape Town Tigers (RSA) vs Roche-Bois Warriors (MRI)

DAY 2: Friday

12pm: Roche-Bois Warriors vs Ferroviario da Beira

3pm: Matero Magic vs Cape Town Tigers

Day 3: Saturday

12pm: Matero Magic vs Roche-Bois Warriors

3pm: Cape Town Tigers vs Ferroviario da Beira

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