The Lionesses beat the Leopards of DR Congo in the finals of Zone 4 afro-basket competition last Sunday. Players of the female national basket team were the first to enjoy the facilities of the ultra modern sports complex inaugurated last Friday, June 19, by the President of the Republic. The basketball Lionesses defeated the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo on both
home and away basis in the finals of the zone 4 Afro-basket competition which took place in the newly inaugurated sports complex in Yaounde. In the away leg play last Saturday June 20, the Indomitable Lionesses beat the Leopards by 56 baskets to 43. In the return leg yesterday, the Lionesses again had an upper hand, winning by 58 baskets to 41. Cameroon therefore qualifies for the African Basketball championship dubbed Afro-Basket to take place in Madagascar. The competition saw Njonkou Amina emerge as the best player and highest point scorer with 36 points to her credit. An elated Minister of Sports and Physical Education awarded the players a special bonus of 5 million besides the normal individual bonuses of 500.000 FCFA. Of the eight member countries that constitute Zone 4 in basketball, only the Democratic republic of Congo made the trip to Yaounde. That notwithstanding, young girls match past with placards carrying the names of all the member countries including Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, D R Congo, Central Africa Republic, Sao Tome &Principe, Chad and Cameroon. This was followed by a colourful and beautiful choreographic display by the majorettes of the Cameroon Basketball Federation before the kick off given by the Minister of Sports of Sports and Physical Education, Augustin Edjoa, who was accompanied on the occasion by the President of the National Olympic Committee, Col. Kalkaba Malboum. In what augers the dawn of a new era of sports in Cameroon, Cameroonians for the first time paid gate fees to watch a basketball encounter and certain top personalities of the republic, like the secretary General at the Prime minister??s office, Jules Doret Ndongo and the General Manager of CRTV, Ahmadou Vamoulke, who would never have come if the competition was taking place in a rough playground, were seen within the precincts of the sports complex. The squad occupied the 6th position during the last African championship in Dakar-Senegal. They were vice African champions in 1984, won a gold medal in the African games in Luanda, Angola in 1981 and vice African champions during the African Games in Algers. The Afro-basket competition is a litmus test for the new bureau of the Cameroon Basketball Federation under the leadership of Samuel Nduku Tendong ever since their election last december31. it is worthy to mention that the male basketball team who are currently vice African champions, have equally qualified for the African Basketball championship which will take place in Libya.
Fred VUBEM, Cameroun Tribune
