Basketball honour for Fondini
LEADING Nelson Mandela Bay basketball administrator Sibongile Fondini has been appointed as the head of delegation for the national senior men’s team taking part in the Brics Games starting in China on Friday.
Brics is an acronym of all the countries taking part in the week-long event, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The team’s participation comes just months after qualifying for Afrobasket 2017 (Africa Championships) to be held in Angola in September.
Fondini said yesterday that, although the appointment had come as a surprise, it had humbled him. “I am excited because when you are passionate about what you love, you do not anticipate such things happening,” he said.
“If you are passionate about something, you expect nothing in return.
“People recognise your hard work and commitment.”
Fondini’s involvement in sport extends over 24 years with a string of achievements under his belt, mostly in recent years as a sport administrator.
In 2015, he won the Eastern Cape Sport and Recreation Achievers Awards category for Administrator of the Year.
In February, he was elected general secretary of the Nelson Mandela Bay Sports Confederation, which is a custodian of all sports federations in the Bay.
Having been appointed head of department for the women’s national team which took part in the African Championships in Cameroon two years ago, Fondini said he expected this trip to be more challenging.
“It’s going to be yet another learning experience for me as an administrator,” he said.
“It’s going to be challenging but I am eager to learn at the same time.
“The last time the men’s national team qualified for the African Championships was in 2011.
“They fought so hard to qualify for this year’s edition in September.
“We will have to use this tournament to prepare for the African Champs, which is more significant.”
Fondini said they had called on all their key players, including those who are internationally-based, for the Brics Games.
“It’s not going to be easy because the countries we are against, particularly Brazil and China, are highly ranked,” he said.