Former basketball star wants to revive the neglected sport
Eastern Cape Windbreakers basketball team head coach Mfundo Magwaca says basketball in the province has hit junk status and has called for organisations to take the sport to children.
Instead of the growth it displayed in the 90s and early 2000s, basketball has taken a downward spiral, according to Magwaca.
He believes its decline has resulted in many children losing interest in the sport.
The many basketball courts around the county have been left deserted.
Many of these courts are in the Eastern Cape.
Basketball in SA had the potential to be commercially viable and benefit from the National Basketball Association’s global growth.
However, like many minority sporting codes in SA, basketball has suffered from maladministration.
Magwaca, who played at the highest level of the sport, is saddened by the situation after he represented the Eastern Cape all his career until he retired.
He then coached at Lawson Brown High School in Gqeberha and at the Nelson Mandela University and is now in charge of the provincial flagship side that campaigns in the Basketball National League (BNL), the Windbreakers.
Magwaca’s side finished the 2020/2021 BNL season in fifth place, with a 3-2 season record. They eventually lost to Egoli Magic in the quarterfinals.
“We are at junk status when it comes to basketball,” Magwaca said.
“The umbilical cord of transferring skills from the older generation to the new generation was cut completely; it was dismantled.
“There’s no structure, organisations are unconstitutionally run, procedures are not followed, people have no interest.”
To revive the sport, the former SA star says organisations should get their structures in order, so they can attract children to the ball game.
“Kids are very smart individuals; they want to play under a good structure because playing and not growing in terms of skill and intellect is not appealing.
“They are out there playing without any proper structures.
“What we are going to do now is to scout all over the Eastern Cape; we are going to identify raw talent.
“We are going to go to schools and communicate with the relevant parties.”
To spark more interest, there will be the Bull of the Court tournament which will move around the province.
The tournament will kick off at Kings Beach, Gqeberha on Sunday (from 11am).