Maqonda Ndlovu
All is set for the 2023 Khomas Basketball Association (KBA) semi-final playoffs, which kicks off tonight at the University of Namibia (Unam) Gymnasium (Gym) Hall with the men’s Premier League kicking off Game 1 of the playoff series.
In the men’s premier division, Unam will resume its rivalry with Titans, as the two clubs’ teams dominated the season to occupy all four of the top four spots.
The first match of the knockout games will see Unam Wolves up against Titans Legends at 18h00 tonight, followed by Titans against Unam Rebels at 20h15.
Tomorrow, the ladies Premier League teams will take centre stage as Unam Sparks face Atlantic Storms at 12h00 before Unam Phoenix clash with Legends at 14h00 in what is expected to be experience versus youth exuberance.
At 16h00, Quality Basketball and Team Allies will play the first match of the semi-final for the First Division, before the Unam Raiders and Unam Penguins seal off the first games of the knockout games. On Sunday, Titan Legends will kick-off game two against Unam Wolves at 15h00, while Unam Rebels take on Titans at 17h30.
The rest of the game two matches will take place during the week for all the divisions, with game three set to kick off on Friday at the same venue.
Speaking to New Era Sport, Helena Uugwanga, the KBA president, said all is set for the playoffs, with all the clubs raring to go.
“We have an exciting programme that will culminate with the finals on 7 October 2023 at DHPS Basketball Indoor Hall, while an KBA All Star game is set for 14 October at a venue to be confirmed. This will be a family day, with a number of activities lined up for the families. This year, the All Star matches will feature KBA players only, as we have struggled to secure celebrities, like we did last year,” Uugwanga said.
The winners will receive their medals and trophies at a prize-giving ceremony where two potential sponsors who are currently engaged by the Namibia Basketball Federation and KBA for possible sponsorship of the 2024 season will be invited.
She added that this year’s league was quite competitive, especially in the women’s and men’s premier divisions, and it was difficult to see who would make it to the finals.
“With Titans separated into two teams, we thought the quality would go down, but it proved to be difficult to predict the top four. The standard of basketball is improving, and we are calling on sponsors to come on board. They will get good mileage from one of the fastest sport codes in the country,” she added. There will be no prize money for the winners this year, but all three top teams will get medals, with the winners receiving trophies.