Netcare Clinton Hospital switchboard operator off to Thailand
Talented wheelchair basketball star Simphiwe Mntambo is set to leave for Thailand after his wheelchair basketball team qualified for the world championships.
Netcare Clinton Hospital’s switchboard operator will be accompanying a basketball team to Thailand, where they will compete in the Wheelchair Basketball World Championships.
Simphiwe Mntambo was appointed as an assistant coach for South Africa’s national u-23 men’s wheelchair basketball team in 2020.
This follows the team of 12 u-23 players’ victory in the qualifying games from February 21 to 27 at Mandeville Sports Club in Johannesburg.
According to Mntambo, despite several teams taking part in the qualifying games, they still came out victorious.
“We succeeded to play in the finals, where we went against a Congolese team and defeated them. We are going to have several tours and camps before actually competing in the championships. We are yet to prepare hard for these upcoming games,” he said.
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The national team consists of players from across the country, such as KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng, playing for various smaller teams.
During these upcoming world championships, he said they will take on teams from Australia, United States, Canada, France, as well as other countries.
Mntambo told the RECORD they were looking forward to working even harder because this lifetime opportunity will open more doors for those players that are not working.
“Our players are excited about this opportunity and this is a massive opportunity for them. We have very young players in our team, as young as 15 years. During the world championships in 2007, one of the players was scouted and offered a scholarship in the States,” he said.
The national squad’s captain, James Mancuzana, reiterated they were excited to take part in these games, as they will be representing the country.
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“Playing among such vibrant and ambitious teammates is what one dreams of and can be proud to have. Our coaches have prepared us well and reminded us we can only win based on what we do on the court, but it starts with our minds. We always want to set the bar higher and do our best,” he said.
