The Angolan men’s basketball team claimed gold at the AUSC Region 5 after defeating South Africa 70-50 in a thrilling final played at the Windhoek Showgrounds. 

Malawi then claimed the bronze medal after edging Botswana 59-56 in an entertaining third and fourth-place play-off at the same venue. 

In the women’s division, Angola completed a double victory by edging Mozambique 45-38 to also snatch the gold in their category. 

Speaking after the win, a happy Francisco Chamuangue, Angola’s men’s basketball team head coach said they deserved the gold medals as they sacrificed a lot in both divisions. 

“It was a tough encounter against a strong South Africa team, they did well and gave us a run for our money, however gold was everything we wanted ahead of the tournament. I am excited about what is to come next,” he said. 

Reflecting on the tournament, Titus Mwahafa, who mentored one of Namibia’s basketball teams at the games expressed satisfaction with the overall standard of the event. 

“I think this year the bar was raised when it came to basketball. All countries came prepared and were eager to win. The competition was tough in all divisions as each nation brought their best players to the event. We learnt a lot from this event, and we hope to continue grooming our players,” he said. 

Namibia’s men and women teams were eliminated in the preliminary stages, but Mwahafa praised their efforts. 

“We showed character at this event, and that’s something I’m proud of. We came in prepared, and the players were eager to showcase their skills. I’m proud of both teams and I hope to retain this group of players and build something big going forward,” he added.