Blackswords soar
Ester KamatiThe Blackswords have proven that teamwork makes the dream work, by winning the 2019 Khomas Basketball Association (KBA) division one men’s league, where 17 teams, comprised of learners and students, took part.
Coached by Titus Mwahafa, the Blackswords are the senior team of the Technical Basketball Academy.
Captain Meunae Tjirimuje said they will take on the premier league next, in the hopes of securing another win.
“Ball is life,” said Tjirimuje, who is passionate about basketball, as well as ensuring that his team is well-prepared and committed to the game.
Mwahafa describes the team of young men as passionate and driven, and said although this was a major accomplishment, the work does not end there.
“What we can do is build a grassroots programme in all the regions and increase the pool of players,” he added, saying a lot of work needs to be done to reach a level of professionalism, when it comes to making the court equivalent to an office in the world of work.
The players, mainly scholars, are constantly advised by their coach not to neglect their schoolwork and to rather prioritise it.
The motto is that you are first a student, before you are a basketball player.
Philip Daka shared that he copes by prioritising and ensuring that his time is well-spread between visiting the library and spending time on the court.
He added that when priorities are well-aligned, the vision becomes clear and time management is made easier.
The team shared they have encountered tough sides during the league, such as the University of Namibia’s Titans team. According to Dionisio Tingao, the team’s point guard, the secret is “basketball IQ”. “Understanding the game always works in the players’ favour… and when speed comes into play, the team is unstoppable.”
NBSL awards young players
This past weekend the Namibia Basketball School League (NBSL), with assistance from the Namibian Basketball Federation (NBF), hosted its second annual awards ceremony at the Dawid Bezuidenhout High School hall. The day served to recognise all the players, coaches and officials that made the 2019 season a success.
NBF president Andrew Masongo said the basketball community must continue to work together to ensure that the sport continues to grow.
OTB Sport Namibia is the main sponsor of the NBSL.
OTB’s Daniel Sule said: “OTB sponsors all the awards for the league, because we understand the power of sport and the impact it has on the lives of these children.”
The event also served as a platform to recognise the 3x3 players, who will be going to Gaborone, Botswana to represent Namibia at the Under-18 Young Lions Cup.
The NBSL winners are as follows:
U-11 mixed
Gold - Windhoek International School (WIS) Team A
Silver - Deutsche Hogere Privatschule (DHPS) Team A
Bronze - Windhoek International (WIS) Team B
U-14 females
Gold - DHPS Team A
Silver - Peoples Primary School (PPS)
Bronze - Mandume Primary School
U-14 males
Gold - DHPS Team A
Silver - DHPS Team B
Bronze - WIS
U-16 females
Gold - DHPS Team A
Silver - Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School
Bronze - WIS
U-16 males
Gold - WIS
Silver - Jakob Marengo Tutorial College
Bronze - Dawid Bezuidenhout High School
U19 females
Gold - DHPS
Silver - Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School
Bronze - Dawid Bezuidenhout High School
U19 males
Gold - DHPS
Silver - Dawid Bezuidenhout High School
Bronze - WIS
Specials awards
Best defensive players
U-11 - Kareem Poonja
U- 14 female - Helen Ndongola
U-14 male - Ruben Hailenge
U-16 female - Rennie Bharoni
U-16 male - Ricardo Wilson
U-19 female - Hilen Nambundunga
U19 male - Tireemukuru Toromba
Most valuable players (MVPs)
U-11 - Tinashe Musavengana
U-14 female - Operi Tjingaete
U-14 male- Awande Maposa
U-16 female- Ashley Linda
U-16 male- Massimo Ferrari
U-19 female- Jennifer Uchezuba
U-19 male- John Diamante
Most disciplined coach - Jacque Louw
Coach of the year - Melusi Linda
Most dedicated team- Concordia College u-16 boys’ team
Female official of the year – Hilen Nambundunga
Male official of the year- Al ticious Links
Leadership award (player) - Hilton Swartbooi
All-Star games’ winners
U-16 female - Red Dragons
U-16 male - Olympians
U-19 female - Black Panthers
U-19 male- Villains
All-Star games’ MVPs
U-16 female - Operi Tjingaete
U-16 male - Titus Ntaagona
U-19 female - Anna Imene
U-19 male - Tireemukuru Toromba
Team Namibia 3x3 representatives
Females: Hilen Nambundunga, Tiffany Khoese, Wendy Liswaniso and Foibe Elago
Males: Ngatjikare Tjitamunisa, Javier Nghishilenapo, Noah Hilengwa and Al Links.
Captions:
BB1: The Technical Basketball Academy’s Blackswords team are the winners of 2019 Khomas Basketball Association division one men’s league.
BB2: The Blackswords faced off against the Unam Titans.
Photos Contributed
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