About the
Panthers
Founded in 2015 by local coaches and youth leaders who were tired of waiting for facilities to arrive.
2015
Our story
It started as a
school programme
Young people in Victoria Falls had energy, talent and nowhere structured to put either. A handful of coaches started running sessions at Chamabondo Primary School, and the sessions never stopped.
Eleven years on the club fields senior men, a ladies side, a junior academy and a wheelchair team, and runs its own primary school league. We are sanctioned by the Matabeleland North Basketball Association and affiliated to the Basketball Union of Zimbabwe.
None of it was funded into existence. It was built by volunteers, parents, borrowed balls and a town that turned up.
Mission
To use basketball as a platform for personal growth, community building and social change in Victoria Falls and beyond.
Vision
To be a leading force in grassroots basketball development in Zimbabwe, known for our talent, our values and our impact on and off the court.
Values
Inclusion, excellence, discipline, community and fun. Players of every background and ability are welcome, and the joy of the game is not negotiable.
What we run
Five programmes
- Junior development, Chamabondo Primary
Ages 8 to 14. Fundamentals, fitness, teamwork and the confidence that comes with being picked.
- Senior men
Provincial league basketball, and for several players a route to higher leagues, scholarships and national selection.
- Women's basketball
Equal court time, equal coaching, equal expectations, and a generation of players changing what the sport looks like here.
- Wheelchair basketball
Accessibility is not an afterthought at this club. We lead inclusive sport in Matabeleland North and intend to keep leading it.
- Corporate health and wellness
Company leagues, fitness challenges and basketball-based wellness days. Businesses get an energised team, the youth programme gets funded.
Leadership and governance
Who runs
this club
The Panthers are run by a club committee with a head coach and assistant coaches carrying national coaching certification. Several of our coaches came through the academy as players. The club reports to the Matabeleland North Basketball Association and operates under Basketball Union of Zimbabwe rules.
Committee names, roles, photographs and coaching qualifications to be supplied by the club and published here.
Three ways in
Back the pride
Partner with us
League naming rights, kit, transport, equipment and academy scholarships, with a written report on where every dollar went.
See the prospectusVolunteer
Coaches, referees, first aiders, teachers, photographers, and people willing to keep score on a Saturday. Local or visiting.
Offer your timeVisit the court
You came for the falls. Train with us while you are here, pack a ball, run a clinic, or bring your group for a friendly.
Plan a visitJoin the pride
Whether you play, coach, sponsor or simply want to watch a session, the door at Chamabondo is open.