By Christine de Kock
SUDANESE basketballers in Braybrook will be able to play in the Sunshine Basketball Association (SBA) thanks to the Anna Wearne Trust donating 50 uniforms to the young sports.
Longhorns’ chairman Manyang Berberi said to date only the club’s over-18s could play in the Sunshine competitions because the other players had no uniforms.
“Now our juniors can play in the league because they’ll have uniforms,” Mr Berberi said.
“Now that the young guys can play they will have more confidence.
“It’s good for their self-esteem and gives them a sense of belonging – they belong to the Longhorns basketball team.”
Longhorns have an over-18 team, and teams in the under-18s, 16s, 14s and 12s.
“We’re also trying to develop a team for girls. We are slowly expanding,” Mr Berberi said.
The Longhorns players come mainly from African countries caught up in conflict such as Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
“The majority are Sudanese, they are more physically suited to basketball because they are taller,” he said.
Anne Warner, a member of the Anna Wearne Trust, said the organisation gave the Longhorns $4000 to help the teams enter the SBA competition.
The money will go towards uniforms, weekly competition fees and registration of the players.
