adminInnocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
GIANTS and Bulawayo City Towers were crowned champions of the Bulawayo Basketball Association (BBA) Pre-Season tournament in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.
The tournament, which is a curtain-raiser ahead of the start of the BBA season, was held at Khanyisile Sports Centre and Eveline High School on Saturday.
In the men’s category Giants were victorious over Legends with the final ending 21-19.Leading to the final, Giants beat Wolves 32-18 in the semi-finals while Legends got over Lakers A 29-25.A total of 10 teams took part in the men’s competition.
The teams that took part were Legends, Nust A, Titans, Giants, Lakers Supermed, Lakers A, Highlanders, Nust B, Mavericks and Wolves.
In the ladies’ division, eight teams participated namely, Lakers Mzansi Highlanders, Mavericks, Lakers Empire, Bulawayo City Towers, Nust and Lakers Glen Lodge.
Bulawayo City Towers beat Lakers Mzansi 21-14 to win the tournament. Prior to the final, Bulawayo City Towers had beaten Mavericks 17-4 in the semi-finals. BBA secretary-general Francis Dube said the tournament was a huge success.
“We are happy to have held a successful competition. We can safely say we are now ready for the start of the new season. This was a highly competitive competition and we expect more of the same when we start the league,” said Dube.
The 2023/24 season will see the BBA introduce a new men’s division called the Elite League. The Elite League is a new division that has been introduced this year to improve the competitiveness of the top men’s league. Six teams will take part in the pilot league. The teams that finished in the top four last season which are Legends, Mavericks, Lakers and Giants have automatic qualification into the Elite League.
Highlanders who finished first in the B league have the fifth slot while Nust A who won the Elite League Play-offs will conclude the list of teams taking part. -@innocentskizoe
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
