The Tuks women’s basketball team proved that winning can become a habit when they won the USSA 3×3 Tournament, playing UJ in the final at the Rembrandt Hall.
It is the second time Tuks has won USSA’s beating UJ. Over the weekend, Tuks won 13–11 and, at the end of last year, 18–14. Tuks’s men again finished third aft after losing against TUT in the semifinals.
Apart from having the bragging rights to being champions, the Tuks women might have a sweet surprise awaiting them. Their captain, Linette Ngulube, is a keen baker in her spare time.
“So if it’s after a big win or I feel like celebrating with my teammates, I bake a batch of cake or brownies. My speciality is brownies baked with love while listening to good music,” she said before the start of the tournament.
In terms of basketball, Ngulube is short.
“I’m only 5 foot 6, which equates to 1.67 metres. Almost all my teammates are taller than me, but I hold my own. My best quality on the court is the support I bring to the team. I give my teammates confidence. When they are confident in the game, they tend to score more.
“I also try to lead by example, even though I am not the most talented player. Quite a few of my teammates are playing for the national team. Still, they are open to constructive criticism. That is the key to our success.”
Tuks’s women’s team is coached by Thesline Davids. When doing an internet search, it becomes clear that as a coach through the years, she undoubtedly made a real difference in many players’ lives. It is no surprise.
“Basketball has changed my life in a lot of ways. To coach, just like teachers, it’s a calling. Coaching, it’s my calling. It enables me to impact people’s lives positively and helps change people’s lives. That’s why I’m still around coaching.
“Being a coach at Tuks is not only about winning. These young players must realise that being a student is an opportunity to change their lives and their families. These things were not always possible when I was younger. So my challenge is to push players to see a better version of themselves at the end,” Davids explained.
To do so, Davids would often quote the businesswoman Thando Nkonzwana, saying, “My biggest fear has never been to fail. My biggest fear is giving up. Giving up means you’ve lost all hope, and hope is what keeps us going.”