The Madagascar U18 girls’ and boys’ basketball championship concluded on Sunday in Toliara, marked by a strong double performance from JAP Mada Alaotra-Mangoro. Competing in both categories, the club finished third in the girls’ division and fourth in the boys’ division after an educational tournament.
In the girls’ category, JAP Mada started with a difficult loss against ASA Analamanga (21-33) but quickly rebounded to reach the final four. In the quarterfinals, they secured a narrow 39-37 victory over Fandrasa Haute Matsiatra to advance to the semifinals. Despite a challenging path thereafter, they ended on a high note by defeating Pintade Amoron’i Mania 55-43 on Sunday to claim the national bronze medal.
For the boys, JAP Mada showed great potential, notably defeating USJFM Atsimo Andrefana 80-65 in the round of 16. They continued to perform well until the classification matches, ultimately finishing in fourth place after a 73-77 loss to NBE Analamanga on Sunday.
Feno Nisainana Randriamihaja, the founding president and coach of all JAP Mada categories (U12 to U20), summarized the journey: “JAP Mada is in its fourth year. The national summit in Toliara taught us a lot, and preparations for the next season will begin on October 3rd. Our goal is to surpass these third and fourth-place finishes.”
With a bronze medal for the girls and a fourth-place finish for the boys, JAP Mada Alaotra-Mangoro is a team to watch in future editions of the U18 national championship.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-22 06:39:20 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/basketball-5×5-u18-jap-mada-alaotra.html