The Sunday Mail
Harare Basketball League giants JBC and Cameo have declared themselves ready for the start of the season this weekend. The 2014-15 campaign begins on Saturday at Richwood with defending men’s champions JBC taking on UZ Stars before national champions Cameo clash with Hustlers in the late match.
JBC coach, Addison Chiware is eying another title and also an improvement in their statistics in the upcoming season.
“I am sure we will be ready to defend our title and we also want to improve on our statistics in the season.
“We have been involved in some tournaments, I am happy with the technical competence shown.
“There were some short falls of course, but it’s nothing to be scared of,” said Chiware.
He said he was glad they have kept their squad and he was hoping to add on a few new players before the start of the season.
“We are negotiating with some players whose names I can’t reveal now, but I am happy that we still have our players around,” said Chiware who admitted rivals Cameo, whom they beat on the last day of last season to win the league, will be a huge challenge for his lads.
Last week JBC lost 21-24 to Cameo in the final of the last pre-season tournament at the University of Zimbabwe.
“It is going to be very difficult against Cameo, there is always stiff competition between the two teams, it’s good for our basketball,” said Chiware.
His Cameo counterpart, Langton Kudzayi, said they will play to win every game.
“As Cameo we play to win everything. Ready is a word I am careful with, but we learn every day, once we stop learning we stop progressing,” he said.
Kudzayi lauded an “excellent” pre-season where they played in some international tournaments.
“It was excellent, one of the best we have had in recent years. We sent a developmental team to Swaziland and Botswana which did extremely well,”
“We have not been lucky in the Provincial league, of course the bigger price is the National Championship which we have won for three years in a row, but somehow the provincial championship has eluded us.
“Last season we lost a few games in the first half but recovered in the second half until the final day of the season when we lost to JBC,” said the gaffer whose team last won the league title in 2011.
He added: “We have not lost any players and we are looking to boost our squad, the door is always open especially if you are young, tall, talented and willing to learn.
Saturday Fixtures
Women at Richwood
Platinum v Green Stars (1100)
Stanbic v Arcadia Bucs (12:30)
UZ Stars v F.M.L (14:00)
Men
Raiders v Pistons (1700)
JBC V UZ Stars (18:30)
Cameo Sigauke v Hustlers (20:00)
Sunday fixtures
Women at Richwood
C.U.T v G.S Academy
L.A v JBC
