Dar es Salaam. Dar City basketball team is set to resume training on April 17 as they begin final preparations for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) finals, with their sights firmly set on the $150,000 (Sh388.2 million) top prize and the African title.
The team heads into the decisive stage with confidence after an impressive showing in the preliminary round held in Pretoria, South Africa, where they finished fourth to secure a spot among the top 12 teams and earned $70,000 (Sh181.2 million). Should Dar City go on to win the title at the finals scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from May 22 to 31, they will walk away with a total of $220,000, combining the qualification reward and the championship prize.
Speaking yesterday, Dar City General Manager Simon Mirondo said the players are currently on a 10-day break before returning to camp. He explained that the initial training sessions will mainly involve local players, while foreign-based players are expected to join the squad gradually depending on their travel schedules and commitments.
“Our players are currently on a short break. We expect to resume training on April 17, starting with local players, while foreign players will join as days go by,” said Mirondo. He added that this time the training camp will be held in Dar es Salaam instead of Zanzibar, as was the case in earlier stages, in a move aimed at improving technical preparations and team coordination. Mirondo acknowledged that the finals will be more competitive, as they will feature the best teams that advanced from the 12-team playoff stage.
From the Kalahari Conference, Dar City will face tough opponents including Petro de Luanda, RSSB Tigers and Al Ahly Ly. These teams will be joined by qualifiers from the Sahara Conference, whose playoffs are set to take place in Rabat, Morocco from April 24 to May 3. Some of the teams competing for qualification from that group include Al Ahly, ASC Ville de Dakar, Club Africain and FUS Rabat.
On squad strengthening, Mirondo noted that the team is required to add at least one new player in line with competition regulations, while the availability of some players will depend on medical assessments.
“We currently have two injured players, David Michineau and Michael Foster. Our medical team will determine whether they will be fit to return before the finals,” he said.
With these preparations underway, Dar City remain optimistic about making a stronger impact and writing history in Africa’s premier basketball competition.
