Basketball to be in your face again – President Sutton

President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation Junior Sutton is endeavouring to once more place the sport “in our face.”{{more}}

Elected recently to the top post, Sutton noted: “My objective is to turn the sport around and make it more visible and exciting …I want to see the national tournament turn around; the Calliaqua tournament, we want to revive that; I want to have basketball in at least five different venues.”

Also forming part of Sutton and his executive’s resurgence is a revamping of the national tournament.

“The national tournament, we are hoping to have that in January … It will be three or four nights of basketball,” Sutton said.

In acknowledging that the national tournament is often affected by adverse weather conditions, Sutton revealed that plans have again been re-ignited to cover the facility at New Montrose.

“Basketball is an indoor sport and as such an indoor covered facility,” he confessed.

Sutton stated that talks have been held with key personnel with the view to seeing how feasible it would be to cover the facility.

And, as part of the way forward, Sutton admitted that the national teams should not only surface whenever there is a Caribbean Basketball Championship, but should be more active.

“National teams need to be going out and competing against other islands, creating a sort of experience,” Sutton said.

The national basketball head man detailed that efforts would be pursued to have visits to neighbouring territories for friendly exchanges.

Amidst all the projections, Sutton underlined the fact that basketball in St Vincent and the Grenadines is in dire need of attention.

“It (basketball) needs work …It needs attention; it needs dedication,” Sutton conceded.

Apart from Sutton, the rest of the executive which assumed office in April is: Wayne Williams – first vice-president; Conrad Simon – second vice-president and Sonja Lewis – third vice-president.

Rohan Providence is the treasurer, with Gailene Gordon general secretary; Suzette Jackson assistant general secretary/treasurer. Romaine Reid has been co-opted as the Federation’s public relations officer.(RT)