UFISA ukubuya ekhaya azokhuthaza intsha ngomkhakha wokudlala i-basketball, uSamkelo Cele (26) waseClermont, eThekwini, osezinze odolobheni lase-Oklahoma, eMelika.
USamkelo ungomunye wabadlali beqembu iCape Town Tigers, elimele elakuleli emqhudelwaneni weKarahari Conference ehlelwa yi-Basketball Africa League, eqhubeka eSunBet Arena, ePretoria, South Africa.
Kulo mcintiswano okuqhudelana kuwo amaqembu amane ase-Afrika okukhona kuwo i-FUS Rabat yaseMorroco, Petro de Luanda yase-Angola neDynamo Basketball Club yaseBurundi.
Ekhuluma neSolezwe ngokungena kwakhe kulolu hlobo lomdlalo, uSamkelo uveze ukuthi waqala ukuluthanda esesikoleni eDurban High, nalapha abona khona ukuthi njengomuntu waselokishini kukhona impumelelo angayenza ngokubamba iqhaza kulo mdlalo onedumela eMelika.
“Ngafuna ukufunda okuningi ngalolu hlobo lomdlalo, futhi khona esikoleni ngakuthola engangikufuna ngabona futhi ukuthi njengomfana omncane waselokishini ngingakwazi ukuthi ngifezekise amaphupho ami ngalo. Ngempela kuthe ngiqeda u-matric ngaya ekolishi elidume ngayo le midlalo iNortheastern khona e-Oklahoma A&M.
“Ngasuka khona ngaya e-University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma nakhona ngaqhubeka nemfundo sibe siqeqeshwa kuyona le midlalo nengiqede khona eminyakeni emibili edlule, ngase ngiqhubeka nokudlalela amaqembu ahlukene kuze kube manje,” kuchaza uSamkelo.
Uveze ukuthi njengoba manje esenesikhathi esiningi sokuphinde abuye kuleli ngenxa yokudlalela iqembu laseKapa ufisa ukubuya KwaZulu-Natal, ukuzokhuthaza intsha ukuthi iyibheke eminye imidlalo.
“Intsha akumele ibheke uhlobo lwemidlalo edumile (eNingizimu afrika) kuphela, njengokuyiyo engabona ukuthi ingazakhela igama ngayo noma iziphilise ngayo. Ngifuna ukuhambela emalokishini nasemakhaya ngibatshele ngempumelelo yami kwi-basketball njengoba ngihambe amazwe ahlukene ngaphinde ngathola ulwazi olwahlukene nokuyinto engenze ngakhula,” kuchaza yena.
Le midlalo ibiza okokuqala kuleli, nokubhekeke ukuthi iqhubeke ibuye eminyakeni ezayo.
Umphathi we-NBA, uMark Tatum, uthe kuyajabulisa ukubona amazwe ase-Afrika ekhula kwi-basketball futhi bayathemba ukuthi abantu bazowubheka ngelinye iso lo mkhakha wezemidlalo.
Osaziwayo okukhona kubo uSho Majozi, Pearl Thusi, Kay Sibiya, Robot Boy nabanye, babenethuba lokudlala kule midlalo ukujabulisa izihambeli.