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Tadious Manyepo in LILONGWE, Malawi

ZIMBABWE are untested in the 3X3 basketball at the Under-16 level.

They couldn’t field a team either in standard basketball or 3X3 in the 2020 Africa Union Sports Council Region 5 Games staged in Maseru, Lesotho, last year due to Covid-19 complications.

But they are taking a positive mentality into the 3X3 competition which kicks off at the AUSC Region 5 Games here today.

The boys team has no one who has ever played a 3X3 format while the girls side has Theresa Chari and Tinaishe Chikwata who have played this format before.

The new concept adds to the excitement associated with this game at this 13-discipline jamboree.

Already, the standard five-a-side format will see the winners qualifying for the Afrobasket championships to be held next year at a venue yet to be confirmed.

Six countries — South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique — will battle it out for honours in the 3X3 format.

And the Zimbabwe male team’s manager, Itayi Chafota, who has experience in coaching the 3X3 system having led the Zimbabwe Under-18 girls and boys to continental glory between 2016 and 2018 expressed confidence Zimbabwean teams will excel.

“Obviously it’s difficult trying to deal with these youngsters who have never played a 3X3 game.

“We have spent considerable time trying to hammer the rules and techniques to them,” said Chafota.

“The good thing is that the players are really receptive of the new concept and the competition has been really encouraging.

“This game is played by only three players with one substitute and we are picking those players from the 12 we have for each team.

“The competition has been good and I hope the players will come out tops when the games begin.

“We were supposed to play the 3X3 format starting last year in Lesotho but we couldn’t due to the pandemic which affected our participation.

“We have just two girls in the female team who have previously played in this format but we are confident that we will be able to take a podium place.

“What these players need is to focus on the goal and try to win their matches. I think, they are in good shape to do just that. Of course, we will face some of the continental giants in Angola and Mozambique but we are not giving them too much respect.”Girls team manager Zanele Nzima echoed the same sentiments.