Residents calls for resuscitation of Murambinda basketball association (MBA)
In an effort to improve and resuscitate local basketball scene, the Murambinda basketball community has called for the resuscitation of Murambinda ballers association MBA which went on hiatus few years ago with an aim to rebrand and restrategize but never came back due to the covid-19 outbreak and the organizer relocated to his home country United Kingdom amidst the pandemic.
The Murambinda ballers Association was responsible for organizing local basketball tournaments and inter-city tournaments as to keep the youth off the streets and offered so many youngsters scholarships to further their careers locally and abroad.
The MBA is a brainchild of a man of cloth named Pastor Tims and his wife Rebeca Tims, who were custodians at the Murambinda orphanage and decided to start evangelism and uniting the community through sporting activities targeting the youth.
Due to their American background and history they choose basketball since it was a new phenomenon in the growth point and they program grew with time and many young people’s lives were changed before its closure after running for 2 decades in the area.
The program started as a church program and it grows to cater for all youth in Murambinda and Buhera constituency spilling to other towns like Chivhu and Gutu with the aim of giving equal opportunity to the youth in marginalized communities and keeping them away from the streets.
The initiative was to keep youth safe, off the streets and preach the word of God through basketball and it was successful.
Some big names come out of MBA to pursue a professional career out of it through foundation scholarships to study locally and abroad.
It grooms a number of players who made into the big teams and some are still doing well whilst such an initiative died a natural death with the relocation of Pastor Tims and his family to the United Kingdom.
People are yearning for the revival of the association as it has helped many and transformed many lives in the community.
Former beneficiaries like Tendai Chitumbira who is now playing for Zimgold stars and Ian Mboko who is playing in the South African topflight league are in the fore front to resuscitate the old MBA as a way to plough back in the community they were raised.
Speaking to this reporter Mboko and Chitumbura emphasized on ploughing back to the community they were raised highlighting the concept of Ubuntu as they were said by the community as a whole.
“we strongly believe in giving back to Murambinda as we were born and bred here , all this opportunities come because someone saw the potential and believed us , now is also up to us to return the same favor and afford underprivileged children like us an opportunity we were afforded through the spirit of ubuntuism which is our backbone” , they said.
Ian Mboko reminisces how MBA saved his life and his life took a turn into the right direction through proper mentorship and guidance from the community.
“I was once a hood kids who wakes early to smoke cigarettes, banking school, spent most of my time in the ranks , smoking living a life of sin but pastor Tims discovered me and saved my life , now I am a born again Christian , so the same love and opportunity I was given , I should pass it down to the other generation through basketball and evangelism.
The duo donating basketballs, hoops and promised to resurfaces all basketball courts in Murambinda whilst they finalize on resuscitating the MBA .
The news was received warmly with the community as they still yearns for the old good days and help the youth who are now vulnerable to the current drug and substance abuse pandemic which is now a cause of concern.
One Tanya Gambiza was of the view that , the MBA will go a long way in nurturing and polish upcoming talents who seems to be playing for fun in Murambinda and transform the game into a career as we see over the years good players end up throwing in the towel due to lack of opportunities .
Thembinkosi Pondo had this to say, there is a need to resuscitate the MBA league as it will also help Murambinda youths to desist from drug abuse.
“The young generation is not equally occupied hence they indulge in drug abuse, the bringing back of MBA is a mitigation measure of drug abuse,” said Pondo.
With the current spike in crime rate and drug related despite it is high time the Murambinda community as a whole join hands and support such initiatives as recreational sports can be the young ones safe place , away from trouble.
Murambinda is currently battling cases of substance and drug abuse especially to the school going ages as many ordinary level students and a level students are allegedly indulging in smoking dagga or drinking alcohol during the weekend which is a cause of concern.
