Southern Zone Basketball League (Sozobal) has elected former ladies’ basketball player Sitabene Malange-Majamanda as chairperson.
The body’s first ever female leader.
The FDH Bank head of corporate banking, who is the only female executive member in the league, went in unopposed during the polls at Blantyre Youth Centre (BYC) on Saturday after another aspirant, Foster Harawa, pulled out in an eleventh hour due to personal reasons.
The qualified basketball coach said her priority will be to reintroduce basketball in primary and secondary schools and get back corporate sponsorship, which has been hard to come by for the last seven years.
“We want the league to experience the good old days when basketball was one of the most popular sporting activities among the youths. This is why we would like to immediately hold basketball clinics for primary and secondary school pupils because this would be the fastest way to get the sport’s popularity back on track,” she said.
“We will work hand in hand with district sports officers so that probably in six months we can hold the amateurs and all-stars basketball tournaments for schools. We also want to make sure basketball regains its reputation as a forum for mentoring the youths. It is such programmes that can be welcomed by the prospective sponsors.”
Malange-Majamanda will be in office for four years along with newly elected vice-chairperson Victor Jere, general secretary James Dalo, vice-general secretary Dominic Moyo and treasurer Edgar Kamangira.
The other executive committee members are referees chairperson Hamilton Justin, women basketball chairperson Rex Mgunda, youth development chairperson Chrispin Makaka and publicity and marketing chairperson Kondwani Kabowa.
Basketball Association of Malawi (Basmal) president Hamlet Kamtengeni, vice-general secretary Banthari Banda and technical director Obed Mbudo Nyirongo presided over the elections.
