Dar City, Fox Divas win National Basketball league titles in Dodoma

Dar es Salaam. Dar City (men) and Fox Divas (women) have been crowned champions of the Tanzania National Basketball League (betPawa NBL), whose finals concluded on Saturday at the Chinangali grounds in Dodoma.

Dar City clinched the title after outclassing Kisasa Heroes 80–51, while Fox Divas dismantled Vijana Queens 65–57.

This marks the second consecutive season that both Dar City and Fox Divas have won the betPawa NBL titles.

According to competition records, both Dar City and Fox Divas earned substantial rewards through betPawa’s Locker Room Bonus (LRB) system, with each team collecting Sh20.1 million for winning all their matches.

Other teams receiving significant LRB payouts included Dodoma Spurs and JKT in the men’s category, each earning Sh15.6 million, while Kisasa Heroes and Vijana Queens collected Sh13.4 million each.

In the women’s category, JKT Stars and DB Lioness received Sh11.2 million apiece.

 The bonuses were paid directly to players and coaches through their mobile phones, aimed at rewarding effort and performance after each win. In addition to LRB earnings, Dar City and Fox Divas were each awarded TSh2.5 million by betPawa as the overall champions. Runners-up received Sh1.5 million, and teams finishing third were awarded Sh500,000.

Dodoma’s Bright Queens won the Fair Play Award in the women’s division, while Manyara claimed the same honour among the men.

In individual awards, Fox Divas’ Evelyne Nakilingi was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP), receiving Sh500, 000. For the men, the MVP award went to Romis Bujeje of Kisasa Heroes.

Fox Divas’ Ekone Brenda won the Top Scorer award, while Best Defender went to Taudensia Katumbi of DB Lioness.

The Best Rookie award was claimed by Pendo Laizer of Orkeeswa. Fox Divas head coach Bariki Kilimba won the Best Coach award in the women’s category.

In the men’s category, Dar City’s Cheikh Dialo won the Top Scorer award, Best Defender went to Mathew Mmasi, while the Best Rookie award was claimed by Feisar Mlanzi of Pamoja.

The Best Coach award went to Mohamed Mbwana of Dar City. All individual award winners received Sh300, 000.

Beyond the regular prizes, players and coaches also benefited from betPawa’s Locker Room Bonus (LRB), earning Sh140, 000 each after every win.

During the closing ceremony, Minister of Minerals Anthony Mavunde congratulated the champions and all participating teams for delivering a highly competitive tournament.

“On behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, I congratulate our main sponsors’ betPawa. Through the Locker Room Bonus system, they have made this competition highly competitive,” said Mavunde.

He also thanked Azam TV for ensuring that fans across the country followed the games with international broadcast quality.

Meanwhile, betPawa’s East Africa Marketing Coordinator, Nassoro Mungaya, thanked Minister Mavunde and the government for supporting sports development and attracting sponsors like betPawa.

Mungaya noted that betPawa has continued to be a close partner of Tanzanian basketball, investing TSh317 million in the NBL this season.

“A major highlight of our sponsorship is the Locker Room Bonus (LRB), a unique system that pays players Sh140, 000 instantly after every win.

We have witnessed how LRB has boosted players’ morale, increased competition, and raised excitement from the group stages to the playoffs. We are proud that this investment has borne fruit, with improved performance and players feeling valued,” said Mungaya.

He added that the brand also contributed Sh13 million toward prizes and various awards.

“This shows how betPawa has elevated basketball. Our investment goes beyond the league, it is an investment in youth, talent, and the future of sports in Tanzania,” he said.

Mungaya added that Tanzania has a proud history of basketball talent, and betPawa is committed to supporting the sport long-term through innovation, motivation, and prioritizing player welfare.