There is shocking news out of Pretoria today stating that the start of the FIBA U18 AfroBasket Tournament will be pushed back by a day. This announcement was made on the day that the tournament was due to tip off.
Last Updated on
September 1, 2024
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The South African capital and its fans were waiting in anticipation to witness the future of African basketball grace the stage in their city. However, in a shocking turn of events, they will have to wait longer. The tournament will now start on 2 September and end on 14 September. This tournament is unlike any other FIBA U18 AfroBasket Tournament as it is the first time there are 24 teams participating. Consequently, this poses a challenge to the organizing committee.
The organizing committee said logistical matters are the reasons for the delay. However, there are various other factors indicating otherwise. For starters, the venue not being ready on the day of tip-off shows a lack of preparedness from the organizing committee. An auspicious tournament such as this one would have required the venue to be ready days prior to the start of the tournament to allow teams to acclimate to their new surroundings.
There are also growing concerns about the state of basketball in South Africa. This comes from the fact that there were no official members from the national federation, Basketball South Africa (BSA), to welcome and guide the arriving delegations. The absence of BSA in the planning seems costly and casts a shadow over the host nation’s ability to host an event of this magnitude. Their absence has led to the minister of Sports, Arts and Culture; Hon Gayton McKenzie, and his department to intervene and save the day. The event planning was then awarded to LoqDown Sports, a South African sports event company who are working tirelessly to ensure that the tournament takes place. Consequently, this late handover has delayed the proceedings.
There are many questions that fans and analysts will be asking but will BSA be present to answer them? Furthermore, what does this mean for the direction and leadership of basketball in South Africa in a time when basketball on the continent has picked up so much steam?
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
