SPORT
matic tales of 2014, a well versed adage once said “Patience, persistence
and diligence make an unbeatable
combination of success”. This adage
could be well likened to the recent
accentuation of the campus Basketball team. For long they have been
in the shadow of other sports and
gained the tag of “dark horses” in the
process. However, after a continual
series of hard work, they managed to
transform their misery into a ministry
and are among the sporting codes on
campus.
Campus Basketball:
The story
so far...
Mangaliso Maduna
Johannes Masiteng
Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. The sport has
grown in popularity alongside the
big three popular and internationally
acclaimed sports (Football, Rugby
and Cricket) in all different parts of
the world. Even in South Africa the
sport has grown at a blistering pace.
In what could be one of the most dra-
28 - Student 24/7
As the cliché goes, “Behind every
successful team there is a great leader. Since being roped into the coaching structures of the Basketball team,
Coach Frans Matloga has never
looked back. He has improved campus Basketball immensely and cultivated a winning mentality amongst
his troops. Following their two successive triumphs over NWU Pukke
and Varsity College respectively,
one can easily contend that renaissance is upon us. Matloga believes
that Basketball is a powerful tool that
can unlock a world of possibilities for
young people in the country.
Matloga himself is no stranger to
hard work. His long term vision is to
start a Basketball academy on cam-
pus and is determined to take the
sport back to its splendor. “I was very
a very good Basketball player at high
school. After I sustained I was then
encouraged to coach Basketball. I
was also part of the national team
set up and I have coached at the
U/17 university national team before
it became USSA. I am the first black
South African coach to win a national
championship,” said Matloga.
Following the establishment of a professional Basketball League (BNL),
this signals a great future for Basketball in the country. Although it is
not on the level of your typical NBA
or Euro Basketball, this shows the
degree of seriousness and popularity the sport has gained. Matloga
agrees, “Basketball is in my blood. I
have been in the game for my more
than 20 years and I want to use my
experience in helping the university
to build a dynasty that will be competitive and dominant for years to
come”, concluded Matloga.