A basketball challenge like no other to be hosted by UJ
The institution will host the 5th Federation of African University Sport 3x3 Basketball Challenge.
University of Johannesburg will play host to 14 African universities as they compete to be crowned African champions at the fifth Federation of African University Sport (FASU) 3×3 Basketball Challenge.
The university’s basketball team, who train at Auckland Park-based Bunting Road Campus, will, along with the other African teams head to the institution’s Soweto Campus to take part in the challenge that will be hosted from June 22 to 25. This competition is held every second year, with the last competition being in 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The 3×3 (pronounced 3 on 3) basketball features three players in each team as opposed to the five in traditional basketball games. Only one substitute is allowed to sit on the bench in 3×3 basketball, with players coming on and off anytime during the game’s dead ball break.
The visiting students outside of South Africa will represent institutions such as the United States International University-Africa (USIU) in Kenya, Mulungushi University in Zambia, University of Ibadan in Nigeria, Ndejje University in Uganda, the American University in Cairo in Egypt, Botessa in Botswana, Kotebe University of Education from Ethiopia, University of Mauritius, and the University of Cape Coast in Ghana.
Locally, UJ students, together with students from North-West University (NWU) Vaal Campus, will also compete in the intense two-day showdown.
Speaking on the much-anticipated tournament, Nompilo Zondi, chairperson of the local organising committee for the tournament said, “The organising committee has been hard at work to ensure that all the participating teams, especially the visiting teams, enjoy the games and their stay in the City of Johannesburg. As the host institution, UJ will make sure that the championship is a success like with previous tournaments. We have to be meticulous in our approach because UJ will be hosting the championships until 2025.”
Marissa Langeni, CEO of University Sport South Africa (USSA), said this tournament provides an excellent platform for talented African university students to showcase their basketball prowess. “The student-athletes who will be participating in this tournament will not only be competing to be crowned the African champions, but they also all know that winning the tournament will send them to the FISU World Student Championships later this year. So, the stakes are high, and we look forward to high octane, competitive basketball games in Johannesburg.”
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