AS the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) prepares to celebrate its 35th year organising basketball in Linden and its environs, LABA president Abdulla Hamid has stated that his body will be concentrating on promoting the levels of Under-19, Under-21 and women.

This will be in addition to the premier First Division basketball championship. In fact Hamid made it quite clear that his objective was to promote youth basketball and to rebuild and to help youths to remain out of trouble, linked to alcohol and drugs.

Hamid’s aim is to allow a lot of youth basketball and for clubs to adopt young players coming out of school.”

Hamid met with clubs recently at the Mackenzie Sports Club pavilion where he highlighted some concerns of the association.

He said the body was not satisfied with the number of teams currently playing in the first division and suggested that a decision be made to cut the number of clubs playing at the first division level to six.

Hamid also informed the club representatives that the association feels that most of the affiliated clubs were not properly structured, pointing out that some names are usually supplied to the association for positions but when contact is to be made these individuals are found wanting with respect to information reaching their respective clubs.

One of the problems Hamid said was the offer which was not taken up by clubs to help popularise the sport, where each club is offered ten tickets for each basketball playing night and once they sell the tickets, half of the entrance fee goes to the clubs. He said this meant that clubs, even for their own good, were not functioning properly to take up such a fundraising offer.

The LABA president also informed those present that game time for teams to be ready to play will not exceed ten minutes after the stipulated time for matches, and after that period of time has expired, then appropriate walkovers will be awarded against the offending club, and appropriate fines attached to correct such actions by errant clubs.

Hamid told club representatives that each club has a six-month period to equip themselves with two sets of uniforms, white and coloured, so that these teams will look attractive to the paying public and potential sponsors.

According to the LABA president “what my organisation intends to do is sit with theses clubs and have them restructured, because if they are not properly structured, the game cannot be properly administered”.

LABA was expected to start its Under-19 basketball championship last Thursday at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court in Linden but a number of matters forced a delayed start. Among them were the need for the clubs to register their list of players before the start of the championship and the poor lighting currently being experienced at the MSC hard court.

The clubs to challenge for the Under-19 tournament honours are Block 22 Flames, Glands Trucking Service Bulls, Kashif and Shanghai Kings, Alleyene’s Retrieve Raiders, Amelia’s Ward Jets, South Star New Ballers, Victory Valley Royals and Wismar Pistons.