LABA Elite final postponed again

By Rawle Toney

Basketball players and fans alike in Linden will have to wait for the final of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) Elite knock-out competition which was scheduled for last Saturday at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) hrd court.

The Kashif and Shanghai Kings and Wismar Pistons teams were down to compete in the final with Amelia’s Ward Jets facing off with Victory Valley Royals in the third-placed game.

According to Joe Chapman, secretary of LABA, the game was postponed because of the funeral of the late former Courts Pacesetters player Kevin Worrell which took place the same day.

According to reports the players felt that it was only right for them not to play the game but to make the journey to Georgetown to pay their respects to Worrell’s family.
However, only two teams, the Kashif and Shanghai Kings and the Victory Valley Royals attended the funeral and many patrons not knowing that the game was called off turned up at the MSC hardcourt to witness the two matches.

A few disgruntled fans stated that the association had no respect for them since they could have a notice on the television informing patrons that the game would no longer be played.

Instead, advertisements for the game was still running as per norm on the local television station (NCN Ch8).

Chapman said that LABA must accept full responsibility.
“We would have to accept the responsibility for not being able to put out a notice. Previously the television stations had the facility to run a ticker tape at the bottom of the screen but that facility is no longer available,” he told Stabroek Sport.

Chapman said it was an oversight that the advertisement was not pulled.
“We would have to take the responsibility for not pulling the ad from the television station,” he added.

The final for the tournament was supposed to be played approximately one month ago, but the organizers ran into a snag in securing the prize money.

“We were trying not to postpone the finals for a second time and we were pleading with the clubs to send representatives to the funeral instead of the entire team but two of the four clubs said that they could not do that,” Chapman said.

Chapman said that a new date for the staging of the final would have to take place after the Beepat All Star game which is scheduled for October 25 and 26.
He disclosed that this week-end LABA will be staging its All-Star game in preparation for the Beepat  All-Star game next weekend.