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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE senior men and women basketball coaches have called for more time with the teams to be adequately prepared for the AfroBasket qualifiers next month. The men’s team will play at home when they host Group B games against Botswana, Mozambique and Madagascar. The competition is running from March 19 to 25 in Harare. The women’s side will be in Maputo, Mozambique from March 3 to 12.

Both teams got into camp on Friday at Prince Edward School.

The women’s side was in camp until Saturday while the men’s team concluded theirs yesterday.

Emmanuel Mukandi, who is in charge of the senior men said there is need for more time in camp with the team.

“Fitness level I think we can do better. We are going to work on that. I think the time that we got to practice was not adequate, we need more time. I think on the next camp we should increase the hours, maybe work from Friday morning until Sunday, put in another day. But I think so far so good.

“This one was basically a selection camp we were trying to pick the best we can from the local based players. I think my assessment I am almost done,” said Mukandi.

Mukandi said for their next meeting they will be looking on the technical side and their game plan ahead of the tournament.

Some of the players who were camp included Tinotenda Mugabe, who was part of the team that participated in the AfroBasket Championships for the first time in 2015 as well as Taurai Chitsinde, who captained the team in Tunisia.

The likes of France-based Vitalis Chikoko, Fred Manyau, Tondi Mushandu, both based in the United States as well as Japan-based Julian Mavunga are expected to join the rest of the team for the last camp just before the qualifiers.

In the women’s section the trio of Mary Chawayipira, Nyasha Katsatse and Dorcas Marondera (all based in Zambia), were expected for the weekend’s camp, but could not make it as they had league games in Zambia where they are playing in the national league.

And coach, Erinos Katsaruware, emphasised the importance of more camps to be in a better state of preparedness come the qualifiers next month.

“We ran a good camp and we worked on conditioning and we wanted to assess like the physical condition and the skills of the players. We were able to assess the fitness level and we are not that bad, but we need improvement.

“On the skills, shooting is a difficult problem. At least we were working on proper hoops and this length it’s a proper court. So I think the way forward we need more camps at a venue like this and we need more time with the girls.

“I think we need at least two camps this coming week, so that we can bring the chemistry, the jelling in the team,” said Katsaruware.