By Rawle Toney
The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) senior club championships which feature eight first division teams has started on a sour note.
One of the teams has been having cold feet with respect to the ability of the organizers to pay the prize monies.
A tournament briefing held last week conveyed that the winning team would receive $100,000, runner-up team $60,000 and third and fourth place teams $40,000 and $20,000 respectively.
But the Kashif and Shanghai Kings have written LABA expressing the fact that they will not participate in the tournament.
“While the Kashif and Shanghai Basketball Club is always supportive of initiatives such as these, we wish to inform you that given the conditions outlined in your letter, we will not be participating. Nothing in your letter or during your briefing which was attended by our representative Mr. Cloyde Brusche, gives any assurances of the prize monies on offer,” the letter stated.
“We are further concerned that the tournament ends at a date beyond the life of the present executives. Given this scenario, our club needs assurances as to which body will be responsible for the tournament after the life of the executive body would have legally expired.”
LABA secretary Joe Chapman in reply made it clear that the tournament was being played for trophies and to determine the top teams in order to facilitate LABA’s classification of the teams.
“Importantly, the clubs are playing for their pride and status while the classification of teams playing first division basketball will be determined and the rules are clear where teams fail to show up for matches.
“As such the aim of this championship has nothing to do with cash incentives as the trophies are the prizes on offer.
“Therefore, cash incentives will be a bonus which the ruling body had included for this premier championship.
Chapman said LABA president Uborn Smith had stated at the briefing of the teams that the winning team would receive $100,000 with the second, third and fourth place clubs also receiving cash incentives based on gate returns and sponsors coming on board during the tournament.
Chapman also pointed out that the tournament would be completed under the present body which controls the sport.
Contacted yesterday, president of the Kashif and Shanghai Kings Basketball Club Colin “BL” Aaron, said that his team’s position remained the same
Aaron, a former president of the LABA said that it was strange that the association was saying that they did not have money when his administration had handed over more than $170,000 upon his leaving the office.
“I have all the records to show that when I left office, plus Republic Bank can reflect my position. I even spent my own money which was over $100,000 when I took office to clear the old association debts and up to when I was ready to leave office I still didn’t get my money back.
I asked the incoming association about me getting back my money and I was told since they have no records as such I can’t be given it back,” said Aaron.
In the lone game Sunday night Wismar Pistons defeated Alleyne’s Retrieve Raiders 71-51.
At half time the score was 36-30 in favour of the Pistons.
Nevin Grenville and Wendell Warrick each scored 13 points and Stryon Obermuller 12 for the victors while Louis James had 15 and Darwin Lovell and Mark Peters had 13 and nine points respectively for the Raiders.
