WALTER ALIBEY
The sport of basketball appears to be making slow but certain headway as far as staging the long-awaited National Basketball Championships is concerned.
Yesterday president of the National Basketball Federation of T&T Garvin Warwick said his federation, along with the clubs have had healthy discussions via a series of meetings and it looks positive that the national championship will be held soon.
He explained that in an earlier meeting this month clubs raised issue with the prize structure offered to them by the federation and it was agreed that a proposal would have been sent to the Sport Company of T&T to meet the demands of the teams, so that the championship can take place.
Among some of the issues raised were the prize structure for the national championship from which the winning team would receive $10,000 and ways of improving communications between the federation and the clubs in the future.
Warwick said this prize was totally rejected by the clubs, although the federation said it didn't have sufficient funds to cover the tournament due to its overwhelming amount of expenses.
However, he told the Guardian that it was also agreed amicably that a proposal would have been sent to the Sport Company outlining the concerns of the clubs and federation and the importance of hosting the national championships.
According to the local basketball boss, calls were made to Minister of Sports Darryl Smith and Anthony Creed, followed by supporting documents of their intent.
But Warwick said they were asked to supply additional information which they have, but will first hold discussions with the clubs no later than tonight before the final document is presented to the Sport Company. He told the T&T Guardian that he has been deliberately silent on a number of basketball issues for fear of further tarnishing the image of the already embattled federation.
Valencia Heat headcoach and manager said he is still awaiting a call from the President to attend a meeting with the sport company, along with his colleagues from the Heat- Dwayne Virgill and Edmund Springer as well as Maloney Pacers coach Christopher Jackson Charles and former national player and coach Lennox Sobers, as was agreed in last Wednesday's (November 18) meeting with the clubs.
At that meeting the Federation was represented by Board members Barry Stewart, the vice president of Organization and Development. He was chairman of the meeting, Kime Baptise and Arnold Thomas (North Zone), James Stewart (South Central Zone) and Jackson Charles (East Zone), and they were joined late into the meeting programme by the general secretary of the Federation Claire Mitchell-Dumas and the President. Among the clubs present were Detour Shak Attack, Valencia Heat, Ministry of Sports Schoolaz, Off Limits and Maloney Pacers.
When contacted yesterday Stewart (Barry) said he had no comment to make on the issue.
Williams added they were all expected to meet with the sports company to explain their needs for the championship. "This meeting became critical as clubs could not stomach the fact that national championship clubs were being asked to play for $10,000 when the first prize in the north zone league was $25,000", he explained.
In yesterday's edition, headcoach of Detour Shak Attack Gordon Felix said that the clubs rejected the $10,000 first prize which the Federation offered. The T&T Guardian also understands that the 12 qualifying teams were already drawn into two groups of six teams each and the event was set to jump-off on Sunday.