Blackswords soar

Ester Kamati

The 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