Sunday’s BVI Basketball Federation season opener rescheduled

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

 Previously announced plans for a July 4 season opener—the first league since the 2001 season—have been shelved because of problems beyond their control, head of the BVI Basketball Federation said on Tuesday morning.

“We were told that the facility would not be fully completed before or around July 15, meaning all the seating will be in, which we need for our basketball league,” Federation president Elvis “Juggy” Harrigan announcement on the heels of Sunday’s opening of the $10 million Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town.

“This along with other odds and ends must be completed. Therefore, anytime after July 15 the league can certainly begin in the new facility. Until such time, we will not be commencing the 2004 league,” Harrigan added. “I cannot give a specific date when the league will open because the federation has to meet and make a decision.”

Harrigan said members of his federation were involved with the summer professional basketball camp that ended today and targeted 300 children between 7 and 18 years on four venues on Tortola and one on Virgin Gorda. A meeting was planned between Wednesday and Thursday to discuss when the league will officially open, but no information was available as of press time. Despite the setback, Harrigan said there’s an eagerness among the ranks to get going but, he offered caution. “The guys are certainly anxious to play, but, if we can wait for two years for the opening of the facility, there’s no reason why we can’t wait another few weeks,” Harrigan stated.

The Multipurpose Sports Complex will usher new opportunities for basketball and will take the sport to a different level, according to Harrigan. He said it lends the opportunity to have more training especially in the area of development. “We are certainly going to take advantage of that—certainly with FIBA, Caricom, Olympic Solidarity and other associations who wanted to help us but were unable to do so because of a lock of facility, can certainly do it now,” Harrigan said. “We will now be able to focus on developing women’s basketball and youth basketball for the first time.”