Basketball South Africa - The Big Tip Off

Rakhudu sets the basketball wheels in motion

“It tells me I am on the right track and there is so much more to be done”

DARK grey clouds have for decades engulfed South African basketball. To even mention the country and the sport in one sentence is an anomaly.

Occasionally, the dark clouds do disperse and a ray of sunlight does permeate, giving hope that the potential of the sport can be leveraged to benefit present and future generations.

That ray of sunlight has been the achievement of Kgolagano Rakhudu, who was recently named in the Mail & Guardian’s top 200 young South Africans. Rakhudu was acknowledged for the work he is doing to empower the youth through the Ball In Motion (BIM) and the Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA programs based in Rustenburg, North West province.

Rakhudu, 29, expressed delight at his achievement and described 2020 as the year when it all came together.

It’s an honour and a privilege to be recognised as one of the top young South Africans making an impact in the work they do. And this year things fell into place. It has increased the confidence I have in my ability to carry on with the work I do at Royal Bafokeng and Ball In Motion. It tells me I am on the right track and there is so much more to be done. As the saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected,” said Rakhudu, who works as head of operations at Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA.

It was not the first time Rakhudu had entered the Mail & Guardian initiative. Last year he was unsuccessful in his attempt to be nominated. Instead of being discouraged, Rakhudu reverted to the proverbial drawing board, did a reassessment of what went wrong and a change in fortune happened.

“I remember I applied last year, but I was not selected. What I learnt from that process was, I probably did not submit most of my work. So, to be nominated this year, I did a better job of putting together the information about my work and I applied earlier when it was advertised. It was a great process. Being among 6000 applicants and going through each stage. It was mind-blowing,” said Rakhudu, who is a co-founder of BIM along with Tshepo Tau and Cornelius Ramostho.

Rakhudu and his associate’s brainchild, BIM was conceptualised from the need to develop young players, especially girls.

Third Pic — **Kgolagano Rakhudu strives to improve himself so that he can make in roads in basketball.**

After engaging with other basketball programs, BIM came to fruition in 2016.

“Ball In Motion has always been a vision of ours, since 2012. Tshepo and I started a girl’s program at Royal Bafokeng. This came from the realisation that there was no dedicated program in the entire country for girls. It was also inspired by attending Basketball Without Borders and NBA Youth Camps. My colleague Cornelius also attended camps in New York, Chicago and Canada. The turning point for the three of us was attending the Giants Of Africa program in Botswana and Basketball Without Borders program in Angola.

“While on our travels. Speaking among ourselves, we said: ‘Okay, there’s no time to waste, this is it. When we come back, we are going to put our vision in motion’. It was in September 2016 that we launched Ball In Motion and later in December of that year we launched our first camp for the top 40 girls in the Bojanala area in the North West,” said Rakhudu.

Rakhudu and his colleagues have begun reaping from the seeds sown. Recently, former Michaelhouse pupil JC Oelofse was awarded a scholarship to Western Reserve Academy in Ohio, United States.

**JC Oelofse was one of the stand out performers at the Ball In Motion camp. Picture: THEBTO**

We met him in 2018 at a national tournament where we communicated with him about his admirable basketball talent. We then invited him to a camp in March last year and later selected him for our inaugural All Africa camp at Sun City, where he was the tournament’s MVP. We proceeded to recommend him for Basketball Without Borders held in Senegal, last year . He did very well and was selected to the all-star team of that camp. He was one of the top three shooters as well. He represents what Ball In Motion is about,” said Rakhudu.

On his future in basketball, Rakhudu wants to spread his wings as far as possible and explore the avenues available in the sport.

“I try to be as versatile as possible so that I can fit in the various career paths available in basketball. If you look at the NBA, you’ll find that former players are involved in various positions, from being franchise presidents, general managers and coaches.

“For me, the pathway was through scouting. That is the reason we started Ball In Motion. I would like to be an international scout in Africa. Another career I enjoy is basketball operations. I see myself working for the league office of NBA Africa and helping them with their grassroots and business development. That is one of the reasons why I am doing a business degree so that I can improve myself,” concluded Rakhudu.

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Sithole’s tweet to Mthethwa makes the right noise

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Basketball being used for short-sighted political gain should be a thing of the past

ALL hands-on deck! That is the requirement needed for South African basketball to be a respected sport and part of the conversation as a national past-time. Anybody who has felt the magic when a basketball bounces on a hardwood or a concrete turf, more than ever, the sport needs you.

Basketball player Thabo Sithole’s chastising tweet on Sunday to current Sports, Arts and Culture minister, Nathi Mthethwa and his predecessors ended with the words ‘DO SOMETHING.’ Yes, something needs to be done about the state of basketball in this country. Whether the minister will respond accordingly to Sithole’s call to action, is a game of wait and see. But his intervention would be welcome.

As a fraternity, we can no longer sit on the bench and wait for a miracle. The mediocrity in the leadership of basketball in South Africa has gone on for far too long. Here are a few examples of the state of affairs in basketball. For two years running (2017/2018 – 2018/2019) the SRSA Eminent Person Group has classified South African basketball as dysfunctional and in 2015 online publication, Daily Maverick reported R2-million in lottery funding allocated for Basketball South Africa had grown legs.

This state of affairs points to a sport in disarray and the onus falls on the entire basketball fraternity to ensure that the sport is steered in the right direction. For that to happen, all hands need to be on deck; that includes fans, players and elected officials at various levels (district, provincial and national). We cannot stop only at words!

Secindary Pic — Thabo Sithole pleaded for intervention at the highest level. **PICTURE: THE BTO**

South Africa, like the rest of the world is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic and like sportscaster and former South African national team player Quintin Denyssen pointed out on this platform “the hard reset of the world is an opportunity for South African basketball to get things right”.

This time should be used to address and correct the issues affecting South African basketball. South Africa needs to be part of the conversation in basketball on the African continent and beyond. This means making our structures functional and having a coordinated calendar for our programmes, covering schools, varsities, clubs, provinces and national teams. It also means including the Basketball National League (BNL) as a partner in the rebuilding project, especially in establishing a national women’s league.

Basketball being used for short-term and political gain in South African sports should be a thing of the past. It should be used to serve present and future generations, and to celebrate our national basketball heroes who have contributed to shaping the game.

The one benefit South African basketball has in bucket loads is sharp minds, and a solid knowledge base that can be tapped into. One just has to follow South African basketball social media pages to realise how much potential and commitment there is in those circles to rebuild the structures of basketball. From those circles, the future leadership of basketball is also inherent and can be leveraged to serve in various governance positions. It may mean some individuals might have to wear more than one hat in the service of basketball. At this stage, whatever it takes!

The issues facing basketball mentioned in this article may be but a drop in the ocean, and the surface has barely been scratched on the extent of the sport’s potential in this country. In many ways, there is essentially a chicken and egg situation: basketball in South Africa has to become fully functional in order to attract the kinds of resources that are needed for it to serve the much needed developmental objective we all desire.

In closing, Thabo Sithole’s tweet to the minister made the necessary noise. The basketball fraternity has to seize the moment! Because we all want basketball to get its bounce back on South African courts.

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Love for basketball drives Bookholane

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“Give us a chance and allow us to show you what magic is”

I live my life led by a mantra and love for the game. I think the most uplifting thing I can say is, DO NOT GIVE UP! Do not give up playing. Do not give up coaching. Do not give up officiating. Do not give up on being a leader in basketball. I say this because, every other day someone will question your judgement. Someone will put a red pen on the work that you do or have done. Someone will question or discredit your decisions. Someone will call you an emotional wreck because you cried. Someone wants you to fail!

There have been many times where I thought I was in way over my head. Maybe I still think that today, but all I have done and continue to do is what drives me to do more. And I can be that emotional wreck at times, but I would not be the woman I am today without the emotions that drive me EVERY SINGLE DAY. The emotions make me want to do more. The emotions are what push me to be a part of the rebuild that is long overdue in South African basketball.

Secondary Picture — Hale Bookholane officiating during the 2018 Varsity Basketball. **Picture: THE BTO**

I definitely cannot do it alone. We need to work together. We need to come together. There is power in numbers. Power only we can unleash, and not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of the generations to come. History will judge us for not doing anything. History will judge us for giving up.

I am also a referee

Refereeing takes a toll on you, especially when everyone is waiting for you to make that one mistake.

As officials, we usually talk about limiting those mistakes to as little as none, but we all know that is an impossibility. If we are right in our decision-making, then coaches, players and fans are happy, but if we are wrong, we are blamed and accused of the worst.

And on a bad day, I will get home, cry my eyes out, send a few messages and voice notes, post a few messages on social media, and go to bed. Surprisingly, the next day I will wake up and want to be better and do better. The love I have for this game is unimaginable and probably why I keep coming back, lol! I think of basketball as the sport that saved my life, and all that I do for it, is my way of saying thank you for all that you have done for me.

Men have to pick up the fight

The one part I have tried to ignore, is the side that many females never want to talk about. The uncomfortable comments you get. The sexual advances. Having to do double the work to prove your worth and capabilities. All because you are a woman. Most of us do not talk about it. But in a time where Gender-Based Violence is at the tip of our tongues and every day you wake up to shattering tales of women and children suffering the worst imaginable violence, it would not be right to sweep this topic under the rug.

Third Picture — Hale Bookholane is calling an equal level playing field. **Picture: Supplied**

I think we as women have spoken enough. We as women have reported enough cases. We as women have been raped, abused and murdered enough.

It’s now time for the men to stand with us and fight. Enough talking. We need action!

We talk about creating enabling environments for women to flourish

There is no other enabling environment that can be created for women other than equality.

Women do not need to be treated like a special project in sport, in fact in anything. Women should be given the same opportunities as men. I mean, the same rules apply in basketball for both men and women, right?

So why deny us those opportunities? Or better yet, why delay those opportunities for us? Women are also capable. Women are also hard working. Women can also do anything they put their minds to. Give us a chance and allow us to show you what magic is.

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Window of opportunity opens for SA basketball

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THE one thing I have always enjoyed about the basketball court is that it is a great leveller, it does not accept excuses and does not care about words, promises or social stature. It doesn’t care if you have had a good or bad day. It curries no favour!

As a player, all you need to do is think back to a moment where you thought you could cheat on preparation or sneak in a late night or disrespect the game or your competition; chances are that many, many times you came off second best. The opposite end of the scale is, of course, putting in the hard work and it translating into outstanding individual and team performances. I am simplifying here: the fact remains that the hardwood or concrete has taught many players and coaches tangible lessons about hard work yielding results. This is truly one of my favourite aspects because true mastery of this game requires work in so many facets, physical-technical-psychological, and it bears a striking similarity to the balancing act one needs to attain self-mastery: the meeting of mind-body-spirit. This, within a team dynamic, is what makes this game so compelling and enjoyable.

Why is this important? I think that post COVID-19, we are going to be challenged in ways never thought of before. The hard fact is that life will not be the same, it cannot be!

Social distancing will impact the playing, technical and spectating experience for every sport, not just basketball. We can be optimistic and know that the scientific minds will have a vaccine ready in the next 18 – 24 months. Meanwhile, we will all be challenged to think of creative ways to embrace the change that’s required because ignoring it could mean increased health risks and mortality. What that will mean practically, I don’t know, but it will be a challenge requiring collective effort never seen before.

The basketball community will be tested. We all want to see the game grow to heights we have imagined it reaching since the Premier Basketball League disbanded in 1998/9, and South African basketball was sent into a free-fall that it never recovered from. We have seen some positive developments and growth in tournaments and competition at high school, tertiary, club and 3×3 levels. This year presented so much hope for most of us in the basketball fraternity.

Secondary picture to story — **Former South African basketball player Quintin Denyssen. Picture: Supplied**

The Basketball Africa League is supposed to pioneer continental competition and is the flagship tournament that has seen federations within the southern Africa region finally start to get their houses in order. Sadly, the gap between southern Africa and the rest of Africa is noticeable with Mozambique and Angola carrying zonal hopes in continental competitions. The question is, will they or any country in the region be able to compete against formidable competition from the rest of Africa? All one needs to do is look at moves made by South Sudan voting in Loul Deng as federation president, Rwanda’s investment in the game, Senegal’s strong development programmes, and a stern examination of club strengths in those respective countries, to understand that we are lagging behind.

COVID-19 has presented a viable opportunity, and I say this with hesitation and constancy, for basketball administration in South Africa to become a competent vehicle and not a swear word. This hard reset can be the biggest opportunity to get things right. We all have a role to play. Checks and balances can be put in place. Outstanding governance matters at all levels can be attended to. An opportunity presents itself for efforts to ensure that basketball is recognised by SASCOC and acknowledged when global or continental competition delegations are constructed. There will never be a window like this again.

A final question that needs answering is, what can individual members of this community do to contribute to basketball’s growth? If we truly want to see the game flourish, then active basketball community citizenry is required. We all have a torch to bear, the onus is on us to identify our role, sharpen skills needed and capitalise on the opportunity presented to do things differently. A journey anywhere starts with the first step and whatever the step, this is our challenge and I believe we can make it work.

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