John Ndlovu
A Harare based basketball Academy has started an ambitious program to churn out young talent.
Going by the name Cousins Basketball Academy, the Richwood Park based Institution caters for youngsters from as early three years of age.
According to one of the facilitators at the Academy Blessing“Mabhule”Mugadza, this basketball school of excellence aims at producing players in the mould of international basketball Lebron James of the Loss Angeles Lakers.
Mugadza also said the Cousins Basketball Academy is inspired by Zimbabwean Vitalis Chikoko.
“We are a very ambitious, we even intend to visit the City of Durban in South Africa this April to expose our young talent.” Mugadza said.
The Cousins Basketball Academy is bankrolled by parents and a company called Lancegrid.
“We are very grateful to LANCEGRID CO and parents who have been very supportive to the Academy, special thanks to LANCEGRID Company who donated basketballs and cones something which has been deficient at the Academy, parents have been paying for sessions, the funds which are projected for running of the Academy.”The Former Chemhanza High School , Watershed College and Westridge Schools teacher added.
Mugadza told this reporter that his past successes encouraged him to give back to the game in form of this Academy.
“I have received several awards in both academics and sports, but there is no difference though it’s just that in class you are teaching programming skills while in basketball you will be giving basketball skills to the Academy students.”Mugadza started.
The former Computer Science , Athletics and Karate teacher also told this publication that he is encouraging fellow coaches to start academies in order to enable the creation for academy league .
“In our Academy we impart skills and we have friendlies now and then, the league is difficult to run since we don’t have a junior league, however we are trying to come up with a junior league and we have sat with other academies and will update you in that regard.” Mugadza added.
Zimbabwe is one of the powerhouses of basketball in the continent. The Senior National Basketball team has over the years been a fixture at the Afro-Basketball tournament since 2015.