Lunga Bullets have been crowned Copperbelt Basketball League champions in the masculine super league category after dethroning 2017 champions Copperbelt University Comets (CBU Comets) with two games to spare and 31 amassed points.

In the feminine category Spax Storm defended the crown and bagged 38 points.

The former champions, CBU Comets, have finished fourth with 27 points while Kansanshi Panthers are the runners-up with 28 points while the battle for second place finish was on-going in the feminine category.

While the Bullets pierced through five top teams to claim the title that they narrowly lost in the 2017 season, their female counterparts Storm went unbeaten and their journey to defending the crown has not been without the exceptional input of young blood in the team.

In an interview with Goal Diggers! Copperbelt province basketball chairperson Andrew Nyirenda applauded Spax Storm for their unbeaten record to the title. He noted that the team comprised young blood.

“It seemed that they would not be able to defend the title but they have managed to do so. They are young players with so much energy although some of the youngsters had little experience at the start of the season. I watched them grow in the second round of the league and they did a great job,” he said.

And Nyirenda also noted the need to increase the number of super league teams in both the masculine and feminine categories in order to attract sponsors.

“We have plans of increasing the number of super league teams in both categories next year maybe we will have sponsors coming on board. Teams struggle to meet a lot of demands that come with the league and we need to help them in one way or another,” said Nyirenda.

Meanwhile, Lunga Bullets skipper and base Agripa Chama shared highlights of the season in his side’s journey to winning the title.

“The league has been super competitive this season unlike the 2017 one. Most teams have upped their game and I can only imagine how tough it will be in 2019. Some teams have faced logistical challenges and affiliation fees while others were struggling with training venues. I am just glad that they all fulfilled their fixtures and made us sweat for this title,” said Chama.