The hierarchy of the newly formed Soweto High School Basketball League (SHBL) has unanimously voted in favour to incorporate teachers in its executive to help identify talent at schools where the sport is played.
The move comes as basketball officials threw the net wide open throughout the township in a bid to swell its ranks before the end of the current schools basketball league season in September.
League spokesperson Jackie Masenya said he had seen many of the teachers at the courts, watching their schools in action, so they are keen and vital to the spreading of the game.
He said they will not necessarily hand-pick any teacher to be on the executive. “We know some of them already. After seeing them at the games, we’ve decided it’s time to rope them in.
“We believe the involvement of teachers in basketball will go a long way towards addressing our talent identification program.
“The inclusion of teachers on the executive is vital because it will also help us monitor progress at schools in other parts of Soweto.”
In the only midweek league match, Lamula High School’s boys team overwhelmed their Vuwani High School counterparts, winning 70-24 at the Phefeni basketball courts.
The huge score is indicative of a one-sided match dominated by Lamula who are seasoned campaigners. Lamula’s Amukelani Mathebula was top scorer with an individual contribution of 24 points.
Henry Nkosi, who along with his friend and fellow basketball fan Masenya started the league, said: “Basketball is relatively new at Vuwani which is one of the schools we have earmarked to continue to help to get the sport really moving.”
