WALTER ALIBEY
Maloney Pacers are out of the National Basketball Championship currently taking place.Yesterday general secretary of the National Basketball Federation of T&T (NBTT), Claire Mitchell-Dumas, said Pacers coach Christopher Charles failed to make a decision on whether his team would be in the championship although he was asked numerous times.
After three weeks into the tournament, Pacers have not played a match and they are not listed on the nine-team fixture. Mitchell-Dumas said Charles, like other team representatives, was asked if his team would be playing but refused to answer and instead demanded monies that he claimed are owed to the East zone, where he is chairman.
Mitchell-Dumas explained the zone has been operating unconstitutionally as it operated contrary to the rules of the constitution by not having yearly annual general meetings and elections every two years.
She explained that in spite of this, the board of the NBFTT agreed to allow his team to play so that the players would not suffer because of the coach. "We asked him if he would be playing but he did not answer, while all the other teams responded favourably. He kept on demanding that the federation give him money to operate the east zone," Mitchell-Dumas said.
She added the board sent a letter to Charles, along with another east zone team-Valencia Heat on November 12 for confirmation as to whether they would play but only the Heat responded.
Concerning monies that Charles claimed were owed, Mitchell-Dumas said the Pacers coach was paid prize monies of $40,000 for zonal competition in 2012. She said Charles is demanding money for 2015, as he claim he wanted all monies owed to him to purchase uniforms.
Contacted Charles refuted claims by the general secretary, saying he represented his club at every meeting held to decide on the national championship and made it clear that his team would have played.
He told the Guardian he will take action against the federation but did not say what it will be. "We will challenge the decision by any means necessary," Charles said. He said during the meetings he dealt with Barry Stewart, vice president of organisation and development, as Mitchell-Dumas was never there.
Charles also rejected claims by Mitchell-Dumas that he was given a letter on November 12 to state whether his team would play or not.He is now calling for the general secretary and other members of the federation executives to resign, as they are operating against the constitution.
"As the top team in the east zone, the Pacers must be included in the national championship as this is what the constitution states," Charles concluded.