2007 a year of challenges in sport Part II

During the year 2007 we saw some organisations making strides even in the midst of the many challenges confronting them. Many of the sporting organisations turned to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) in the hope that this latter institution would have been able to bring some developmental assistance to bear as they pursued their own objectives.
Unfortunately the NOC’s funds are specific to the work of the International Olympic Movement and therefore the organisation cannot operate as a funding institution. That is not at all possible.

Basketball
Basketball remains something of an enigma in the country. The sport has grown in popularity as a direct result of the television coverage of the USA’s NBA here at home, Adonal Foyle’s entry into the NBA and more recently the entry of Sophia Young and Sancho Lyttle in the WNBA. There was a surge in the sport several years ago when Union island dominated the national league and knockout competitions for a period of time. There was also immense interest when teams from North leeward stole the limelight. Calliaqua created much interest in the sport with its annual Calliaqua Invitational Basketball Tournament (CIBT) and the initial VINLEC sponsorship supported the growth and development of the sport. Then something went wrong and the rebuilding process has had to be undertaken.
The acquisition of a home for the sport, complete with offices at New Montrose earlier this year may well signal a change in fortunes for the sport and its administration. The NOC’s provision of coach Nelson Isley for a three-month Olympic Solidarity sponsored programme to aid the Basketball Federation in the development of its national sports structure must be seen as an important step in the right direction.
During the year the federation has been holding its VINLEC sponsored competition utilising a zonal format that saw the reintroduction of competition in Biabou.