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 ASilver - Deutsche Hogere Privatschule (DHPS) Team ABronze - Windhoek International (WIS) Team BU-14 femalesGold - DHPS Team ASilver - Peoples Primary School (PPS)Bronze - Mandume Primary SchoolU-14 malesGold - DHPS Team ASilver - DHPS Team BBronze - WISU-16 femalesGold - DHPS Team ASilver - Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School Bronze - WISU-16 malesGold - WISSilver - Jakob Marengo Tutorial College Bronze - Dawid Bezuidenhout High SchoolU19 femalesGold - DHPSSilver - Immanuel Shifidi Secondary SchoolBronze - Dawid Bezuidenhout High SchoolU19 malesGold - DHPSSilver - Dawid Bezuidenhout High SchoolBronze - WISSpecials awardsBest defensive playersU-11 - Kareem PoonjaU- 14 female - Helen NdongolaU-14 male - Ruben HailengeU-16 female - Rennie BharoniU-16 male - Ricardo WilsonU-19 female - Hilen NambundungaU19 male - Tireemukuru TorombaMost valuable players (MVPs)U-11 - Tinashe MusavenganaU-14 female - Operi TjingaeteU-14 male- Awande MaposaU-16 female- Ashley LindaU-16 male- Massimo FerrariU-19 female- Jennifer UchezubaU-19 male- John DiamanteMost disciplined coach - Jacque LouwCoach of the year - Melusi LindaMost dedicated team- Concordia College u-16 boys’ teamFemale official of the year – Hilen NambundungaMale official of the year- Al ticious LinksLeadership award (player) - Hilton SwartbooiAll-Star games’ winnersU-16 female - Red DragonsU-16 male - OlympiansU-19 female - Black PanthersU-19 male- VillainsAll-Star games’ MVPsU-16 female - Operi TjingaeteU-16 male - Titus NtaagonaU-19 female - Anna ImeneU-19 male - Tireemukuru TorombaTeam Namibia 3x3 representativesFemales: Hilen Nambundunga, Tiffany Khoese, Wendy Liswaniso and Foibe ElagoMales: 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

Blackswords soar

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-23

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Blackswords soar

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Namibian Sun 2025-01-23

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