US coaches to conduct training for U20 in Dar

Dar es Salaam. Over 100 youngsters will benefit from Open Elite basketball scouting course to be conducted by coaches from the US at the JMK Park next week, it has been revealed.

The three-day course, which starts on October 19, will also involve national team coaches Mathew McCollister and Bahati Mgunda, according to the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF).

TBF official Michael Mwita said yesterday that the youth who will perform impressively during the course would secure scholarships to US-based schools and colleges.

He said the course, which has been facilitated by the nation basketball team head coach, American Mathew McCollister, is for the youth aged between 15 and 20 years.

“We expect to get a bumper entry as there are many young players who have shown interest in participating in the course,” Mwita said.

Collins Kaizirege, a young basketball player from JMK Youth Park, said he was optimistic he will acquire the skills he needs to hit the limelight during the course.

He commended McCollister for facilitating the course, saying it was one of the best ways to promote the sport in the country.

“I think he is giving us what every young basketball player would like to achieve. Players who will impress the coaches during the course will be awarded scholarships in schools and colleges in the US,” he explained.

Kaizirege is one of Tanzania’s up-and-coming players who attended a special basketball course in Kenya three months ago.

Other players expected to benefit from next week’s course include Jesca Julius, one of the gifted female basketballers in the country.

Jesca, who returned home recently from South Africa, where she attended a basketball course, said yesterday that her ambition was to study basketball broadly in US.

For his part, the national youth basketball team coach, Bahati Mgunda, urged the youth to enroll in the course so as to sharpen their skills and win scholarships to learning institutions in the US.

The course has been organised by TBF in collaboration with the nation team head coach McCollister, Mgunda and Scouting Team from US.