Ajani Williams, president of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JBA) said the long-awaited tip-off of the National Basketball League (NBL) is set for next weekend at the National Stadium, with an opening ceremony and dress parade.

"Tentatively, the competition will start in two weeks' time, but the thing is, we are supposed to sign off with all the paperwork with our two sponsors this week, which we have committed to last week Friday, verbally," said Williams, in an interview with The Gleaner, yesterday.

"However, until that ink is dry, we cannot give a fully committed date when the league will start," he stressed.

"I have spoken to the sponsors and we have agreed that this Friday would be a good date to have the launch, and the following weekend will be the start of the league," Williams added.

The NBL, which was scheduled to begin in April, has been postponed on a number of occasions, prompting uncertainty about this season's competition. This resulted in a number of teams boycotting the JaBA-organized pre-season games.

Williams said that in order to promote the league locally, there would be televised games and advertisements on radio and in the print media.

He also said there would be a reduction in this year's prize money.

"We are still happy with the amount that we are expected to raise from the verbal negotiations that we have been having with our sponsors for the past couple of months," he said, adding that the league will run from September to December.

"We have cut out a few games, mainly because we have more teams now, and in terms of our resources, we want to give something that can have a strong impact, and is not dragged out," said Williams.


By Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer | Sept 1, 2009