BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - A team from St. Kitts and another from Nevis are expected to compete in this year’s Leeward Islands Basketball (LIBA) Tournament in Anguilla from December 11-18.
However, St. Kitts’ participation is dependent on the outcome of the 2015/2016 A League or Second Division Tournament, according to St. Kitts Amateur Basketball Association’s General Secretary Wallis Wilkins, who stated that the team is expected to be made up of players from that league.
The League was put on hold due to a major controversy surrounding the handling of a matter involving several players from the Sandy Point PRIDE Basketball Club.
As first reported by SKNVibes, the Sandy Point PRIDE Basketball Club had accused officials of the St. Kitts Amateur Basketball Association (SKABA) of violating several rules and regulations when it suspended a number of that club’s players for a minor infraction.
Team Manager Randy De Souza told SKNVibes during a recent interview that four of his players were suspended after a report was submitted following a Junior League game back in June, claiming that they verbally abused a match official.
“On the day in question, members of Sandy Point PRIDE were seated in the stands in support of the Sandy Point Falcons. Apparently, there was a dispute amongst the juniors, and in the absence of any security personnel at the complex, many spectators, including a number of senior members from Sandy Point PRIDE and other clubs, proceeded onto the court to help restore order and safeguard the youth players.
“Our members were there to assist in quelling the dispute. However, the referee had lodged a complaint to the Games Commissioner, Harold Wharton, against four of our members and on Sunday, July 3 we were notified that they were suspended.”
De Suza explained that the referee’s complaint was primarily based on him being verbally abused but Wharton had written and submitted a report of the incident to himself and arbitrarily determined a ruling.
“On receipt of the notification, we realised that Wharton had written and submitted the report to himself, and without the involvement of other members of the Games Committee ruled that the four players were suspended. He did not give us an opportunity to defend ourselves and we see this as a violation to SKABA’s League Rules and Regulations.”
Speaking with SKNVibes Sports, SKABA’s General Secretary explained that the issue has been placed before a discipline committee headed by Director of Culture Troy Mills, at which point a decision would be made.
Wilkin disclosed that they are hopeful of getting a decision in the shortest possible time so that the League could be completed by the middle or the end of November.
The two teams from the Federation would come up against the likes of St. Marteen, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda and the host nation.
SKNVibes has learnt that the Federation has not been represented at the regional level in that sport for a number of years.
Earlier this year, the junior team was registered to compete in the Caribbean Basketball Federation U-16 Tournament but officials withdrew the team at the last moment, citing the lack of finding a quality team to participate.
