Long delayed BVI Volleyball season opens on Saturday

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

Saturday should have been the first full weekend of the BVI Amateur Volleyball Association season that will feature seven Primary School teams competing in the league for the very first time.

The long delayed season—for reasons beyond the association’s control—was pushed back from April 2, after the association, the Big Ballers league and organizers of the BVI Government’s Public Service Week sporting activities were locked out of the $10 million Multipurpose Sports Complex last Thursday, because of a church activity planned for the facility over the weekend.

Disappointed players found out that the complex is not really “multipurpose”—in a relative sense, after all, when several association players showed up for Thursday’s Public Service Week Volleyball tournament on one of the four teams under which their employment agency falls, they found the building locked. Public Service Week officials, as well as those from Volleyball and Basketball, later learnt that the facility had been booked for a weekend Jehovah Witness’ Church convention. Several Volleyball players in particular, questioned why, if the facility was indeed a multipurpose facility, how it is that it could not accommodate several events, with proper planning and scheduling?

The Volleyball Association had confirmation for the facility to open its league on Saturday evening. Volleyball Association president Sabinah Mason on Monday afternoon, explained the communications fiasco. “What transpired really, is that the gym was apparently double booked for this weekend’s function with the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” she said “So, although we had confirmation that we could use the gym from Saturday for our league opening ceremonies and activities, it turned out that there was another event that had been planned. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the event, the (gym) floor had to be covered and there was no middle ground to say that we could both use it on the evening, so, we have had to postpone the opening of the league on account of that.”

The league has set a 5:30 p.m. opening tomorrow and will feature two games. Admission is $3 per person. “As far as we know at this point, there’s nothing preventing that from happening,” Mason said.

Meanwhile, the BVI Basketball Federation is planning its league opening for May 7, meaning the Volleyball association league which got off to a later than usual start, will be compressed. Mason said she hadn’t received any concrete confirmation that basketball is starting on May 7.

“To my mind, the mere fact that everything this year has had to be pushed back, I would also think it prudent that basketball could also be pushed back, unless there is some very strong factor that they must start on Mother’s Day,” Mason stated. “I’m not aware of that. The best thing to do to accommodate all the parties involved would be that everything moves back, on account of all the things that have been happening with the gym,” she said.

A women’s national team departs next week for Jamaica, to participate in the World Cup qualifying series.