BBA awards in October

THE Bulawayo Basketball Association (BBA) will hold its awards ceremony at Khanyisile Sports Centre next Friday.

BBA Secretary-general Howard Phangwana said the basketball selection committee is now at the final stages of selecting individual honours.

“Preparations are at the final stage and our selection committee is deciding on the individual honours. In both categories (men and women) the committee needs to come up with Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year and the Junior Players’ Awards,” Phangwana said.

He said invites have been sent to stakeholders including fellow sports associations and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation. Winners will walk away with medals accompanied by floating shields. Some of the honours have already been determined based on the league results.

In the men’s category, Southern Mavericks will be awarded a gold medal for being the season champions. Triangulars will receive silver as first runners up while Oilers will walk away with bronze for coming third.

In the women’s category, the champions Southern Mavericks will walk away with gold, Lakers and National University of Science and Technology (Nust) will receive silver and bronze respectively.

The best excelling district in primary schools and best secondary school will also receive awards during the ceremony. In the coaching awards, the selection committee will be looking at a coach who has done extremely well in one or across all the basketball competitions which include the league, club championship and inter-provincial games.

Last year’s awards saw Mxolisi Ndlovu from Nust and Southern Mavericks winning the coach of the year award in the ladies category while Joe Mujuru got the same award in the men’s category. — @khumzallen THE National University of Science and Technology (Nust) has been commended for taking an active role in the development of athletics in the country by working with Arnold Payne to bring to Zimbabwe a world class coach.

Darryl Anderson, a world class track and field coach arrives tomorrow on an educational trip facilitated by Nust and Payne Global Sports International.

Anderson’s coming is the brainchild of Payne, a former Zimbabwe national sprinter at the AllAfrica Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships who is keen to see local talent reach the top.

Payne believes exposure to people who are used to