COAST REGION: TANZANIA’S JKT basketball captain, Baraka Sadick, has confirmed his season is over as he watched his team suffer a second defeat in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Season 5 Qualifiers.
Sadick, sidelined by an injury from the recent Basketball Dar es Salaam League (BDL), watched as his teammates suffered an 89-72 defeat against Madagascar’s GNBC on Thursday night at the Filbert Bayi Indoor Stadium in Kibaha District of Coast region.
Expressing his disappointment after the game, Sadick acknowledged that their opponents had clearly outplayed them.
“I’m disappointed like everyone after losing the second game. However, we have to admit our opponents were better than us. I’m sad I couldn’t be on the court to help, but the injury kept me out. My season is over, and I will get ready for next year,” Sadick said.
He also took a moment to reflect on the competition, pointing out that teams like Urunani BBC of Burundi, who defeated JKT 83-60 in their opening match, have bolstered their squads with top players from America, Sudan and Senegal, making them formidable opponents.
“With our current team, which is still developing in our league, it’s difficult to match teams like them. We need to continue growing both individually and as a team to perform better in this tournament,” he added.
Earlier in the week, JKT’s coach, Christian Mwakingili, had confirmed that Sadick’s participation in the tournament was uncertain due to the injury, pending a medical evaluation.
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The defeat leaves JKT with slim chances of advancing to the elite 16, as only the top two teams from the East Division will progress to the BAL 2025 qualifiers.
Despite a strong start in their match against GNBC, where they led 20-15 in the first quarter, JKT could not maintain their momentum.
GNBC surged ahead in the second quarter, taking a 40-38 lead after the interval and eventually sealed the victory with strong performances in the final two quarters (26-23 and 23-11).
In the earlier game on Thursday, Urunani BBC of Burundi secured their second victory with a commanding 112-43 win over Beau Vallon Heat of Seychelles.
The Burundian champions are now one victory away from securing their place in the next round but face a tough challenge on Friday night in their match against Kenyan champions Nairobi City Thunder, who won their opening game against Heat.
Urunani’s top scorer, Jean-Bocquis Boissy, who has scored 51 points across two games, expressed confidence in his team’s ability to win the title.
“It was two good games (against JKT and Heat). We played really well, though we have new players trying to adjust to our playing style and build something new.
“We have a lot to work on to execute our game plan, but we fear no team. We just go out and play against five players. If you are the underdog, be the underdog. If we’re dogs with dogs, at the end of the day, we are going to try to win,” said Boissy.
He added that the team was eager to claim the title and add it to their Burundian League championship.
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