04 Aug 2014

Kamogelo Khutsafalo savoured a crowning achievement that she had never anticipated.

“Never ever in my wildest dream did I see my journey leading me to the doorstep of becoming a basketball champion” floating trophy holder, Khutsafalo said during an interview.

“I am very excited and honoured, who would have thought that a school in a remote area would scoop the championship, even today it feels like a dream.”

Explaining on how, what started like a joke become success, Khutsafalo, who hails from Maunatlala, a physical education teacher and basketball coach at Patikwane JSS, never played basketball in her life.

It only happened that one time she saw basketball being played on television and that caught her eye and she thought of starting basketball team in her school.

The following morning she asked the sport master if she could start basketball in school, and it was agreed in 2010.

She explained how the journey was a rough patch since there was no basketball court in the school and that became a challenge. This, however, never demoralised her and since the sport was just introduced it meant there was no team too, so she had to ask students to join.

“Most of the students had basketball fear, they felt basketball was only for rich people in urban areas,” she said.

Since there was no court, they had to use football or netball pitch for training, and most of the time she learnt from observation to gain coaching skills, she never went to any training at the start, and she only acquired skills from watching the game on television.

And she would later share what she saw with her students and they will practice it.  In 2010, they participated in central region zonal basketball competitions, and they lost many games but that never discouraged her.

Her recognition continued to show when she was approached by BISA and BBA to coach national basketball team for girls Under 17 years in 2012.

That calling motivated her even more. In 2013, her Patikwane team participated in zonal basketball competitions where the girls’ team scooped third position and the boys’ team scooped second position, qualifying for the national basketball competitions where they beat Kang to become national champions.

Her student Moreetsi Joni also scooped the best player of the tournament. That year again, Khutsafalo was called to coach national team for girls Under 16.

Despite her fantasy turning into reality, Khutsafalo lamented that there were challenges she encountered being lack of motivation for students not coming in large numbers just like in other sporting activities.

Also lack of a basketball court was a big challenge.  Her moment of crowning was when Moreetsi Joni was signed by BDF V while still a student.

Khutsafalo took her Under 17 team for COSASA games in Namibia where they scooped position three. She also took her Under 16 team to participate in Mozambique during All Africa games. This year her Under 17 team is scheduled to play in Zambia.

The school supported her very well as the building of the court is undergoing, while a kit for the team has already been bought. ENDS