LABA launches Senior Club Championship

Nov 08, 2008 Sports

LABA President Uborn Smith (left) addresses the launching. Also at the head table are Secretary Joseph Chapman (centre) and Committee Member Ashton Angel Jnr.

The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) on Wednesday launched its Senior Club Championship at the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) building boardroom on Republic Avenue, Linden.

The eight first division clubs in Linden will vie for championship honours in the event which starts tomorrow with a double header.

Kashif and Shanghai Kings play New Ballers in the first game at 6:30pm and Wismar Pistons oppose Alleyene’s Retrieve Raiders in the second game at 8:30pm at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.

The tournament will be played on a round robin format where the top club will be decided by points accumulated at the end of the double round league.

The next set of matches will be next Friday November 14. The tournament will be played at weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, LABA President Uborn Smith addressing the gathering, gave insights into the operation of the association. He disclosed, “It is not too late; but I think the time is right.

We have had many setbacks; we had the weather to contend with, we had lots of disappointments in terms of the major sponsors coming forward to give us the support to move forward.

But nevertheless, the association will honour its constitutional mandate which is to organise and promote basketball within the length and breadth Linden as a town and the region at large.

“And with this, we have decided to have basketball played for the rest of the year, and even into next year. We are going to start with our first division league and we are going to commence a third division as well not too far from now.”

Smith informed that due to lack of sponsorship LABA have got to find the prize money to pay the teams. In respect of the talent of the players, Smith said the winner’s purse will be no less than $100,000.

The clubs contesting in the tournament are: Wismar Pistons, Victory Valley Royals, Kashif and Shanghai Kings, Glands Trucking Service Bulls, Patriots, Amelia’s Ward Jets, New Ballers and Alleyene’s Retrieve Raiders.