TANZANIA : Relief as basketball body lifts Savio ban

By Imani Makongoro
The Citizen Correspondent

Dar es Salaam. Mainland basketball champions Savio heaved a sigh of relief yesterday when the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) lifted a one-year ban Basketball Dar es Salaam (BD) had imposed on the team.

This means Savio will now compete in this year’s National Basketball League (NBL) opening tomorrow at the National Indoor Stadium.TBF vice chairman Phares Magesa confirmed yesterday that the decision to nullify the punishment was made by the body’s executive committee on Wednesday. He said BD erred in its decision to punish Savio.
“We decided to quash the punishment on Savio after realising that BD’s decision to discipline the team was not in line with the rules and regulations,” Magesa said.

Earlier this year, BD slapped the one-year ban on Savio and its leaders for alleged indiscipline during the RBA League, and they were automatically ruled out in the national championship. On the NBL, Magesa said teams from upcountry started arriving here yesterday for what promises to be a thrilling event.He named JKT, Pazi, Savio, Vijana, Prisons and ABC as among the men’s sides expected to represent Dar es Salaam in the event.