National Sports

Bamaba ready for change of name

Newly formed Balaka Basketball Association of Malawi (Bamaba) has said it is ready to cooperate with the Basketball Association of Malawi (Basmal) after the domestic basketball mother body expressed reservations with the Balaka body’s name.

Basmal vice-general secretary Dalitso Tepetheya last week said he was trying to communicate with Bamaba officials, including its founder, Italian Guido Calciolari, whose organisation is running a schools basketball tournament for 15 teams in the district.

“The last time we called Balaka, I was told he was outside the country. Unless they, as a Southern zone entity, get affiliated to the Southern Zone Basketball League (Sozobal), they cannot operate as another basketball association. There is only one basketball association of Malawi. The Sports Council has even queried us about this association,” said Tepetheya.

“If they have a grouping to promote basketball, then they have to be under Basmal. We cannot have two associations in Malawi. All associations are required to register with us after satisfying some requirements. The name Malawi can only be used by a national association and not a district association,” said Sports Council’s administration manager Henry Mereka a fortnight ago.

He could not specify the consequences of running a parallel association using the name Malawi, but noted that “Basmal can apply its rules and regulations”.

Basmal is affiliated to the Sports Council which is government’s sport policy implementation arm of all sports activities.

Coordinator of the Bamaba competition, Patrick Bwanali, said on Monday they were yet to register the association which is run with Balaka Italian friends.

The Balaka body has also been conducting training sessions at Balaka Basketball Court organised by Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust.

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