With the U18 Afrobasket qualifiers scheduled to take place in Gaborone just a few weeks away, the young Ankoay are intensifying their preparations with twice-daily training sessions at the Ankorondrano gymnasium.
The countdown has begun for the U18 boys’ Ankoay. At the Ankoay gymnasium in Ankorondrano, where their training is underway, sessions are being held at a sustained pace under the guidance of Head Coach Tojo Rasamoelina. Their stated goal: to secure one of the qualifying tickets for the final phase of the U18 Afrobasket, which will be held in Côte d’Ivoire this August.
Initially, thirty-one players were called up for the national training camp. After several weeks of observation and evaluation, the group was reduced to twenty-one pre-selected players. This list brings together the best young talents from several regions across the country, including Analamanga, Toamasina, Ambatondrazaka, Toliara, and Ambilobe. Several members of the team that won the gold medal at the Indian Ocean Island Youth and Sports Commission (CJSOI) Games last year are also among the candidates for the final selection.
On the court, the sessions are particularly demanding, with the Malagasy coach closely observing every move his players make.
A Difficult Mission
“The goal is to have young competitors capable of repeating the feat of 2022, when the Great Island’s basketball players became African vice-champions on home soil and qualified for the World Cup,” emphasized Solofohery Angelot Razafiarivony, National Technical Director at the Malagasy Basketball Federation.
However, the mission awaiting the Ankoay promises to be particularly difficult. Angola, a four-time African youth champion, will be the natural favorite. Mozambique, a former continental vice-champion, also possesses a solid tradition of player development. In addition, Zimbabwe and Botswana, the host country of the competition, also aspire to secure their historic qualification for the final phase.
Donné Raherinjatovo
Captured & Published at: 2026-06-25 07:00:04 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/06/basketball-5×5-u18-la-preparation-bat.html