DODOMA: THE National Basketball League (NBL) women’s final today features the Fox Divas from Mara region taking on the Dar es Salaam-based DB Lioness at Chinangali Park in Dodoma.
Both teams are competing for the championship title, which became available after the defending champions, Vijana Queens, were eliminated in the semifinals.
This marks Fox Divas’ second consecutive appearance in the final of the BetPawa sponsored league, which began on November 10 and concludes today.
Known for their high-scoring games, the Divas are eager to improve upon last year’s performance, where they fell to Vijana Queens. They secured their place in this year’s final by sweeping JKT Stars, another team from Dar es Salaam, with a decisive 2-0 victory in the semifinals.
Fox Divas showcased their offensive strength with an 83-52 win in the first match, followed by a solid 75- 62 victory on Monday.
DB Lioness, equally determined to claim the title, defeated the defending champions, Vijana Queens, in a clean 2-0 sweep. They edged out Vijana 48-44 in a tense second game on Monday, following a convincing 59-40 victory in the first match over the weekend.
Their performance demonstrates their resilience and hunger for the championship. In addition to the final, Vijana Queens and JKT Stars will compete today in the women’s third-place playoff.
In the men’s category, UDSM-Outsiders secured third place after defeating Kisasa Heroes 51-45 on Monday, earning a prize of 700,000/- sponsored by BetPawa.
The men’s championship is still up for grabs, with Dar City leading the best-of-three series after a dominant 97-48 victory over ABC in the first game. The second game took place last night; if Dar City won, they will be crowned champions. Should ABC emerge victorious, the title will be decided in a final match today.
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Winners in both the men and women’s categories will receive 2.8 million/- each, while the runners-up will be awarded 1.4 million/-. Thanks to a partnership between the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) and BetPawa, over 144 million/- has been allocated to participating teams.
Additionally, each winning team’s 12 players and four officials will receive 140,000/- each as part of this historic sponsorship deal for the NBL.
