Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the reigning North Zone champions, have started the defence of their Premier Division title in style as they won their opening game of the 2015 bpTT Mayaro Basketball League when the season was launched at the Mayaro Indoor Sport Facility on Sunday.
In the second of two competitive matches, Police demonstrated that they would be keeping a tight grip on the trophy when they turned back a determined La Horquetta Forces team 84-75, with Dexter Manswell contributing 18 points. La Horquetta's Jeffrey Borne was top-scorer in the match with 36 points.
In the first game, Maloney Pacers triumphed over Mayaro Pacers 70-59 in an Under-23 fixture. Mayaro led in the first quarter but Maloney went ahead in the second and maintained their lead to the very end with Mohammed Elias scoring a three-pointer right at the buzzer.
The season got off to a colourful start with the parade of teams. Not surprisingly, Police captured the March Past title, with Newlands Knicks placing second, while High Voltage (Arima) and Maloney Pacers tied for third.
Now in its third year, the Mayaro Basketball League is organised by the South Corner Basketball Foundation and sponsored by energy company BP Trinidad and Tobago.
Joel Primus, Community Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations Adviser, bpTT, urged the players to take the sport seriously since they can take it to the highest international level as a profession. "Sport, in this case basketball, can be considered recreation, an avenue to alleviate crime, a means of bringing communities closer together but it can also be converted into a career. How far you take it depends on your discipline, attitude and passion. You should aspire to be basketball stars on the national and international stage," Primus told the players.
He said that bpTT, whose home community is Mayaro, would continue to partner with the South Corner Basketball Foundation to develop the sport in the south-eastern communities.
Kyron James, councillor for Mayaro/Guayaguayare, praised bpTT for its "sterling and longstanding contribution in supporting sports in the region over the years. He appealed to the players to be competitive but display the highest standards of sportsmanship.
Twenty-four teams will compete in the 2015 bpTT Mayaro Basketball League. They will play in four divisions, Premier, Under-23, Women and Community League. Matches continue at the Mayaro Indoor Sports Facility on Saturday from 6 pm.
Games for the Mayaro Basketball league will start on August 19th with community division games being scheduled during the week and the other three divisions for weekends. Some of teams that are not too far from Mayaro may be scheduled for games during the week sparingly.
Results
Teams confirmed for the divisions
Premier
1. Mayaro Pacers, 2. Grande All Stars, 3. Police, 4. Pythons, 5. Pistons, 6. Detour Shak Attack, 7. Valencia Heat, 8. La Horquetta Forces, 9. High Voltage, (Tentative � Prisons)
Community Division
1. NDS Ambassadors, 2. Mayaro Boys, 3. New Lands Knicks, 4. Libertville Villas, (Tentative � Rio Blazers, Ortoire Ballers, Mafeking, Quash Trace, Omeara Knights)
Under 23
1. Mayaro Pacers, POS Trailblazers, Grande Young Stars, Maloney Pacers
Women
1. Police, 2. Brian Chase Academy, 3. New Lands Knicks, (Tentative - Invitations extended to Colours, Defence Force, Shooting Stars, Courts Horizon and Maloney Pacers)