Bravehearts Basketball Club has started camp training in Salima ahead of a busy schedule which will see the senior team compete in the Basketball League Africa (BLA) in Zambia from October 30 October to November 4.
The Under-20 boys’ and girls’ teams will also compete in the Bridging Foundation Tournament.
acTournament, scheduled for October 22 to 24, will bring together reserve teams of Zambia elite teams alongside college sides.
Bravehearts chairperson and head coach Griffin Kalua said in an interview that the team is training at Paratroopers Basketball Court at the Malawi Defence Force base, taking advantage of the hot weather to help the players acclimatise ahead of the competition.
“With Zambia also experiencing high temperatures, we deliberately settled for Salima for the preparations,” he said.
The road to BLA, will feature champions from across southern Africa, including South Africa’s Soweto Panthers, Zambia’s Munali Suns, Zimbabwe’s Harare Kings, Botswana’s BDF, Bravehearts and Mozambique’s Ferroviário de Beira.
Kalua said with only two teams qualifying for the next round, the tournament presents a significant challenge and opportunity for Bravehearts as they seek to advance further in the continental competition.
He said participation of both the youth teams and the senior men’s side underscores Bravehearts’ commitment to developing basketball talent at different levels.
“The club continues to build a pathway from youth development to senior competition while working to raise Malawi’s profile in regional and continental basketball,” he said.
In an earlier interview when the club toured Zambia to prepare for the upcoming tournaments, Central Zone Basketball League chairperson Clement Masangano hailed Bravehearts Basketball Organisation for their continued participation in international tournaments.
He said: “This is a well-timed move as they strengthen their squad in preparation for B African Qualifiers later in October. It shows confidence and growth of the game in the country and serious sponsors should consider this.”
