The Montana Vikings Basketball Club (MVBC), one of the Mother City’s oldest basketball teams, have hoop dreams in their sights.
They aim to raise R330 000 to enable young athletes to participate in the Soweto Basketball Uprising Tournament in June, a stepping stone to national and international recognition.
The club, founded in 1995, has evolved into a formidable force, boasting 135 members across various age groups driven by a vision to transform lives and make a mark on the global basketball stage.
Under the leadership of Shafiek Allie, the club's chairperson, for many, MVBC is more than a sports club, it's a sanctuary where underprivileged children discover their true potential and come together as one family.
Allie says: “The tournament takes place annually on 16 June and a lot of the big clubs play there so the reason we felt the need to participate this year is because we always only play in Cape Town and our children don’t have the opportunity or exposure to play outside of Cape Town.
“This is a great opportunity for the club to spread their wings and play against the best, our club has a rich history.
“The Montana Vikings have developed many provincial and SA players and we really want to take out talents outside the city.
“Our children come from Valhalla Park, Gugulethu and those areas, so they might not ever have the opportunity to be on a plane and leave Cape Town.
“This also gives them an opportunity to be seen by various coaches from various universities where they could get possible scholarships.”
Allie says that this would be their first time participating in the Soweto Basketball Uprising Tournament, scheduled for June 14-17, which will feature the best U18 teams in the country.
Their goal is to raise enough funds through their BackaBuddy campaign to cover transport, accommodation, meals, and equipment for 40 players, managers and coaches, to participate in this event in Soweto.
Allie emphasises the importance of this campaign: "Our vision is to enter the South African Basketball National League and eventually the Basketball Africa League. This tournament is a crucial step in that journey.”
So far, they've raised over R54 700. You can support them by visiting https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/mvbc-to-sowetu or contact 0846508771
marsha.dean@inl.co.za