By Anesu Chakanetsa

WHEN the country’s most successful football club, Dynamos, was formed in 1963, a basketball team (Dynamos Basketball Club) was also founded.
The game has produced its own greats, successful politicians, businesspeople and sports officers.
The club was formed at the height of racial segregation when some sporting disciplines were a preserve of the whites.
Basketball in the then Southern Rhodesia was played by pupils at the former Group ‘A’ schools with few blacks making it in first teams.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Dynamos Basketball Club’s roster featured the likes of Dun Armstrong, Dan Gilbert, Gary Mayhew, James Chieza and the Musamba brothers, Raphael and Mike.
Teams that made headlines in those years were Earthquake and Arcadia Bucs where former Finance Minister, Herbert Murerwa, was the manager.
After independence, the game changed significantly, with Mashonaland Basketball League being formed.
Earthquake, Arcadia Bucs, Cavaliers, Sixers and Waterfalls Trailblazers were some of the teams in the newly-formed league.
Dynamos coach, Orlando Conte from Mozambique, changed the rigid nature of Rhodesian basketball to a stylish type of play.
He had lots of players at his disposal, the likes of former Dynamos football goal-minder, Peter Fanuel, Keemon Raftopolous and Terry Galloway.
In 1988, Dynamos Basketball Club changed to Cavaliers.
Lishon Chipango became the ambassador who introduced the game to the black community.
Chipango, together with William Chimuchere, introduced the game in the high density suburb of Mabvuku in Harare.
From then on, the game was spread to other high density suburbs and schools to Glen Norah, Mbare and Chitungwiza.
Chipango will also be remembered for grooming and nurturing great players like the late Ronald Garura, Hugh Hofisi, Bright Chidimu, Freddy Manyau and Gwinyai Rukambe to play for Cavaliers.
In 1993, he became the first Zimbabwean coach to win a back-to-back final tie against Peking Stars of Bulawayo in a Kodak Cup Final.
Samuel Foko, from Cameroon, who played for Sixers and Ronald Garura, who played for Kingdom Cavaliers, will be remembered for producing the best match-ups during this era.
Matches between these two teams were matches between Foko and Garura.
Women basketball was also on fire, with Cavaliers producing best players again, some of who are now prominent sport personalities.
They include Anna Mguni, Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive officer, Mary Murombedzi, Kundai Masenda and Tabeth Kanengoni.
The 1995 All-Africa Games hosted by Zimbabwe was also a turning point in the history of Zimbabwean sports, especially basketball.
Unfortunately the senior men’s team was defeated by Africa’s basketball powerhouse Angola by 12 points but produced a memorable performance during the whole tournament.
Garura continued with Chipango’s legacy in the coaching ranks.
He began a grassroots coaching clinic and took basketball to primary schools in high density suburbs.
He coached Mufakose Hawks and Mashonaland Basketball province and scooped several trophies.
From 1998 to 2010, he was the Zimbabwe senior men’s team coach.
Garura also produced and motivated great players who are now developmental coaches like Ngonie Mkukula, Lance Manomano and Norest Shenje.
From the past decade, Hoops for Hope, an affirmative group that caters for young people under the directorship of Mkukula, has produced Zimbabwe’s finest, including Vitalis Chikoko who is now playing for Bayern Munich Basketball Team.
On a disappointing note, the basketball legacy in Zimbabwe is being swept under the carpet.
Dr Murerwa who was once a basketball player and administrator lamented lack of corporate sponsorship for the growth of the game.
“We have great potential but the clubs need corporate sponsorship”, said the former Arcadia Bucs manager.
“We also have to improve on infrastructure like renovating basketball courts, starting from urban townships.”
Like many other basketball enthusiasts, Murerwa dreams of the golden days where crowds would throng to nicely festooned township basketball courts and enjoy the game.
In those days players enjoyed playing on home soil because they would receive their dues on time.
In the US, basketball has become a million-dollar business and the most popular sport.
It is dominated by black people.
Most of the players in NBA sponsor some vulnerable people, especially orphans around the world, while in Zimbabwe a basketball player does not get much from the game.
Currently there are about four dominant basketball associations in the country namely Harare Basketball Association, Masvingo Basketball Association, Manicaland Basketball Association and Bulawayo Basketball Association. However, there is no national basketball league due to financial constraints.
Nevertheless, the entertaining factor of the game has not diminished.
Without money and financial sponsorship, the players and enthusiastic spectators continue to throng the dilapidated courts to watch games.