Hornets coach upbeat

HARARE City Hornets coach Langton Moyo is upbeat his side will rise to the occasion at the inaugural Mayor’s Invitational Basketball Challenge to be staged in the capital this weekend.

The three-day competition pencilled for Friday to Sunday at City Sports Centre and Belvedere Technical Teacher’s College is expected to feature over 30 men and women teams, including some from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.

“When you are preparing for such a big undertaking you are never ready . . . you will never be 100 percent ready but we are going to do our best. It’s in my culture, I play to win so the target is obviously to win everything that is placed before me,” said Moyo.

The club recently signed three players, including shooting guard Warren Tegama from Hustlers and 19-year-old Blessing Mlambo, a student at the University of Zimbabwe.

And Moyo said they will be in action at the tournament.

The men’s national champions set to take part in the African Club Championships later this year in Botswana are also taking advantage of the Mayor’s Challenge to get ready for the continental showpiece.

“We have signed three players, we are bringing young blood into the team. We are off season so we are going into the new season, so the mayor’s tournament is like a dress rehearsal for the Club Championships in October, in Botswana and this is the squad we have so they are definitely going to play. But we want to do the best we can since we are the host,” Moyo said.

Some of the clubs expected to grace the tournament include Matero Magic from Zambia and Dolphins of Botswana.

And the City Hornets coach singled out the two clubs as some of the teams to look out for.

The tournament is the brain child of Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni.

And it will also present an opportunity for upcoming players to showcase their talent with an Under-13s competition also in place.

Winners for both genders will get $3 000 and the runners-up will walk away with $1 500. The third placed-team will pocket $750.

Men: Harare City Hornets, Francis Town Flames (Botswana), Central Knights (Malawi), Brave Hearts (Malawi), Foxes, JBC, Savio (Tanzania), Cougars (Malawi), Dolphins (Botswana), Matero Magic (Zambia), Hustlers, Glen View Rockets, Southern Marvericks, Looters (Zambia), Troopers (Botswana), Mercenaries, Giants, Midlands State University, University of Zimbabwe, Varsity Leopards.

Women: Harare City Hornets, Brave Hearts (Malawi), Vixens, JBC, Lakers, Cougars (Malawi), Lady Dynamites (Malawi), Lynx Ball Queens, Matero Magic (Zambia), Southern Marvericks, The Weekend Squad (Namibia), Midlands State University, University of Zimbabwe, Dolphins (Botswana).