LABA to continue staging Linden Schools U-19 Basketball Championship - April 8

LABA to continue staging Linden Schools U-19 Basketball Championship – April 8 – May1

Jan 24, 2013 Sports

Gets commitment from US-based former national Coach Linden Alphonso

The wheels are in motion for the Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s staging of this year’s ninth annual Linden Secondary Under-19 Schools basketball championship, which was formerly run by the Victory Valley Royals Basketball Club for the past eight years.
In a release, LABA through its Secretary, Joseph Chapman, announced that the most popular and sought after schools’ basketball tournament in Linden will be staged from April 8 through to 1st May for eight playing days and the final on May 1 during the annual Linden Town Week activities.
The dates which were approved will be April 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19 and for the semifinals on April 29, and the final on May 1.
The six schools that have been invited through the Regional Education Department are the Mackenzie High School, Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary, New Silvercity Secondary, Wisburg Secondary, Linden Foundation Secondary and Linden Technical Institute.
According to Chapman, the United States-based former National Women’s Coach, Linden ‘Sancho’ Alphonso, who was the first and only national coach to bring home a Caribbean Championship when he was head coach for the National Women’s team which won the Caricom Women’s Basketball title in 1996 in Trinidad and Tobago, will continue to seek the sponsorship from overseas for the competition where he now resides permanently.
A number of local sponsors are also being asked to contribute to what has been the most talked about and successful schools basketball championship in the Mining Town over the years.
After some discussions to have LABA become the organizers, it was disclosed that when it was first put to the association last September by Alphonso for the LABA to plan for this year’s championship, it was agreed in October that it will continue to be known an as the Linden Secondary Schools Under-19 Basketball Championship, now in its ninth year.
To back his continued support, Alphonso committed saying, “The tournament has become such an anticipated fixture amongst schools in Linden, I am willing to continue provision of the trophies, balls, nets at the least.”
Alphonsonoted, “…if there was another entity that is willing to take up the mantle and carry it forward, but my first thought had been the LABA.”