Bay school basketball on the rise

[caption id="attachment_36281" align="alignright" width="300"] TOP PERFORMANCE: Morningside's Olwethu Kasibe, left, is challenged by Cingani's Lazola Mnyanda in the Top Schools district basketball play-offs in Motherwell at the weekend. Picture: EUGENE COETZEE[/caption]

FOUR Nelson Mandela Bay schools have qualified for the National Top Schools provincial basketball play-offs to take place in East London next month.

The Nelson Mandela Metro Schools Basketball Association, in conjunction with the departments of Basic Education and of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, hosted the district play-offs at the Raymond Mhlaba Indoor Centre in Motherwell at the weekend.

In the under-13 section, Hombakazi Primary and Mdengentonga Primary showed their strength by being represented in both the boys' and girls' sections.

The Hombakazi boys were too strong for their rivals in the final, winning 33-9, but there was consolation for Mdengentonga when they won the girls' play-off 33-22.

In the U18 division, the Morningside girls romped to a 63-11 win over Cingani, while the Khwezi Lomso boys had a much tighter affair against Coselelani, finally overcoming their rivals 35-24.

The winning teams will represent the metro at the provincial play-offs in East London from July 4-5.

The National Top Schools Championship is an annual national programme which has been championed by the Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula and is in its third year.

Several sporting codes at school level are under this programme across the country where they participate in what is known as the Top Schools League, starting with zonal competitions and culminating in the national championships in December.

Eight districts will compete in the provincial finals in East London. - Neale Emslie