Calliaqua, Kingstown face-off in basketball finals

The winner of the Whitsuntide President’s Invitational Basketball competition will be decided tonight at the New Montrose Hard court. This, when Calliaqua United and Kingstown Combine meet after last Monday night’s final was rained out. {{more}} Calliaqua earned their place in the final with an 86-66 win over Mustique Icons, while Kingstown Combine beat Bequia All Stars 82-74 en route to the final.

In the first match of last Monday’s planned double header, Bequia secured the third place beating Mustique 64-55.The Invitational competition was used to fill a void left by the postponement of the Vinlec National Male Basketball Championship which was set to open last Saturday, May 26. The new date for commencement is set for August 11.

President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation Wayne Williams in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT last Sunday said, “the decision to postpone the championship came from all parties concerned”.

“Some teams indicated that they were not ready and the reasons varied”, he added.

But as a means of keeping those who were ready for tomorrow’s grand opening at their peak, Williams revealed that there will be a short invitational competition this weekend at the New Montrose hard court.

“The first weekend after Carnival, we will be having three on three competitions”, Williams indicated.

The basketball president also said that prior to the opening on August 11; there will be training sessions for officials and players.

Williams said that his executive is looking into the possibility of hosting the annual secondary schools’ competition, normally put on by the Ministry of Sports.

“That’s the next thing we have on the table before us and we are looking seriously at it”, Williams said.

He said that the hosting of the schools competition was important as many of the players would have used the national competition as an avenue to bid for a place on this country’s team to the Windward Island Games. These games are scheduled for Dominica during the upcoming school vacation.

Whilst the championship has been pushed back, Williams is anticipating the normal interest and competitive spirit associated with it.

Competition will once again be in three divisions: Premier, A Division and Under-16.

Previously set to open last month, the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation in a statement said that they had deferred their opening to May 26, to give way to the commencement of the Cable & Wireless National Netball Tournament which opened April 29.

Starved of competition for the past two years, as the last male championship was staged in 2004. However, a female competition was staged in 2005.