STREETBALL: Mapula Sibanda
IT was more than passing ball at Bruma Lake when the first of the four Nandos countrywide Streetball Challenge tournaments kicked off last Sunday. It was also a day of fun and festivities for the whole family. Parents acting as coaches for the day shouted and cheered for their young ones, as they were sweating it out in the streetwise version of basketball.
The challenge attracted up to 1 200 entrants making up 300 teams. The streetball action took place on the 20 temporary courts that were erected next to the flea market. Ages of participants ranged from eight to over 35, with teams divided into males, females, mixed and a special wheelchair category.
As an informal type of basketball, streetball has recently been taking South African courts by storm. Each team consists of four members with three players and one reserve. No previous experience is required and the rules are quite simple: the first team to score 21 points or the highest score in 10 minutes wins.
True to the theme of the challenge, some streetwise shenanigans were not lost to the game. A few rough street tackles here and there, and complaints of alleged faked ages by some teams were taken to the visibly strained referees.
One of the highlights of the day was the match between the celebrities team which included Bob Mabena, Miss South Africa Jacqui Mofokeng, and WBO flyweight champion Baby Jake Matlala pitted against presenters of TV1’s Streetwise programme. The TV1 team won despite Baby Jake’s antics of trying to shoot the ball from below the net.
By the end of the day, only two teams out of the seven categories were officially entered for the December finals to be held in Cape Town. Because of time constraints, the remaining teams will play at the Fordsburg roadshow this weekend for their place in the finals.
Three more challenges are going to be held across the country before the final playoffs. The winning team in the finals will get a free trip to the International Adidas Streetball Challenge tournament, to be held in Barcelona next August.