CAPE TOWN (South Africa) - The Cape Town Tigers (CTT) are out there to make some noise. But more importantly, they want to inspire a new generation of basketball players through their feat at the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Season Two.

Pieter Prinsloo, the Tigers' poster boy, is adamant that they can ignite a new spark for basketball in South Africa.

It's been quite a while since South Africa featured in any basketball competition.

In 2017, they went to the FIBA AfroBasket, ranking 15^th. "This showed the gap that separated us from the best teams in Africa," reflects Prinsloo.

And since then, the South African side did not participate in any of the subsequent continental gatherings.

"When we finished our last FIBA AfroBasket campaign in 2017, we could have made it to the [2019] World Cup Qualifiers, but the government decided to cancel their fundings due to some issues at the time."

At the time, Chad replaced South Africa in the 16-team World Cup African Qualifiers.

Then came the BAL, and with it, the opportunity to start afresh.

The Tigers, who made their first international appearance during the Road to BAL qualifiers, made it a point of honor to clinch five wins out of their seven games. All these in front of their home fans, who were so proud that their team could pursue the adventure.

"It was special. We were discovering something new, but we played with what we had: our hearts. We wanted to send a message to Africa, that South Africa is still there. But we wanted above all to inspire young talents back home," adds the 2,08m (6ft 10in) tall center.

Through the feats of the CTT, Prinsloo hopes to see the rise of a new generation of basketball players. "See Angola, for instance, or Rwanda. They have been investing massively in basketball. So, maybe we can help send the right message to the right persons, and get every stakeholder involved. We must groom our young talents," he points out.

The former Marist Red Foxes University player wishes above all to see the South African flag floating on top of the continent. But he knows that things are not as simple as they seem. "Hopefully, we can make a change in the mindset."

But to make sure the magic operates, the Tigers need to overcome some difficulties, namely the reigning BAL champions Zamalek (Egypt) and tournament favorites, Angola's Petro de Luanda, along with FAP (Cameroon), South Sudan's Cobra Sports and Espoir Fukash (DR Congo), in April.

Sure enough, the Nile conference is a do-or-die moment for Cape Town Tigers. But they are willing to give it their best shot. "When I look at the teams, I must reckon that it's going to be tough for us. But we're thinking about every youngster that looks up to us back home, and our efforts must not be wasted."

The Cape Town Tigers want to make a statement at their next appearance

For the time being, the team is focusing on getting ready for the April meeting. "We need to be ready. Everyone is coming with the hope to win and make it to Kigali," he concludes.

FIBA