The synergy of sports and learning shines at Saheti Junior Slam
Young talent lit up the court at SAHETI School‘s Junior Slam u14 Basketball Tournament on the weekend, with the action streaming live on SuperSport Schools.
The SAHETI boys’ A-Team reached new heights when, buoyed by their enthusiastic supporters, they triumphed over St John’s College in the final, claiming a convincing 35-25 win.
In the bronze playoff, Michael Mount Waldorf School overran Redhill School 35-5.
In the girls’ competition, the title match was fiercely contested and extremely close. A three-point shot could have altered the outcome, but Michael Mount came away with the gold, edging out Redhill School 24-21.
St Mary’s Waverley outperformed the hosts, Saheti, in the playoff for bronze, scoring a decisive 21-8 win.
Kerdrick Haggard, the Head of High School Sport at SAHETI, said he was satisfied with the tournaments results and said the event was the first of many to follow.
“It’s been great to see both boys and girls doing well,” he said, adding that SAHETI is already looking at ways in which to expand the event in 2026.
At courtside, while watching crossovers, fast breaks, and alley-oops, SuperSport Schools Plus spoke with Haggard, SAHETI’s Head of High School Sport, as well as Christina Mogale, the Senior Sports Development Officer, and Zama Sosibo, the High School Basketball MIC.
Since its introduction in 2013, basketball has become a popular sport at the school. There were four teams initially, Mogale said, including junior boys’ and girls’ teams, but their popularity led to the creation of senior teams.
Considering the host’s contribution on the court to the weekend’s action, Sosibo said she was pleased with the team’s conduct and efforts.
“I’m very satisfied, to see the difference from yesterday [Friday] to today [Saturday], since the majority of the kids are here for the first time, or they are playing in a tournament for the first time,” Sosibo said.
Schools, generally, do not host u14 tournaments, as they typically start at u16 level. That results in children often struggling with tournament regulations and tiring quickly. “Having u14s, we wanted to bridge that gap to make sure that when kids get to the u16 and u19 tournaments, they are well prepared. They know how it feels to play in a tournament, so that it’s not new to them,” Sosibo explained.
The school’s basketball scene continues to pick up momentum, and both Mogale and Sosibo said they are looking forward to a competitive season.
“We want to keep that momentum. We want to make sure that the standard is kept at a high level, and we want to compete with big schools,” Mogale told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We are a co-educational school, so we are seen competing with mostly boys’ schools with the boys’ basketball, and we want to make sure that we keep that standard, and we are always there to compete, and that we’re not just seen as a co-educational school, but we’re seen as a competitive school.”
Mogale said one of SAHETI’s advantages is that basketball is introduced to the children from grade one. They grow up with the game throughout primary school and high school.
SAHETI’s dedication and effort was rewarded when one of their own, Ntsakisi Makhuba, was included in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Her Time to Play Elite Camp – South Africa, which was hosted at the Klipspruit Sport Centre, earlier this year, in Soweto.
Mogale stated that, for players like Makhuba, such experiences are both valuable and advantageous for the individual and the institution.
“From my side, I think it helps our development a lot because our girls get to understand that it’s not a small community, but they can actually get the opportunity to be on those big stages,” Sosibo said.
Makhuba has also been selected for the Basketball National League All Stars on Sunday, 14 September, where she will join, among others, Liamisha Aboo, from Redhill, who recently attended the Basketball Without Borders Camp in Rwanda. Sosibo said it brought her joy to see those girls competing at a high level.
Anthea Boutselis, who was part of the u16 South African girls’ National Team that played in Italy in 2023, is one of the players who has proudly showcased SAHETI’s basketball skills in recent years, noted Sosibo.
RESULTS
Boys’ Final
Saheti A Team 35-25 St John’s College
Bronze Playoff
Michael Mount 36-5 Redhill
Position 5 and 6 Playoff
Saheti B Team 29-16 St Peter’s College
Girls’ Final
Michael Mount 24-21 Redhill
Bronze Playoff
St Mary’s Waverley 21-8 Saheti
Position 5 and 6 Playoff
St Peter’s College 28-18 King’s School Linbro
Girls’ All-Star Team
Hlumouhle Buthelezi – St Mary’s Waverley
Marina Savvides – Saheti School
T Cele – Michael Mount
S Milic – Redhill School
MVP – A Fall – Michael Mount
Boys’ All-Star Team
K Phiri – St John’s College
J Masewamana – Saheti School
Akani Tiva – Michael Mount
Tinotenda Pswarayi – Redhill School
MVP – A Messina – Saheti School
