A recent sports survey showed basketball as the fastest-growing global sport. According to the projections, if the growth rate continues it will soon rival the most popular sport in the world, football.

The United States' National Basketball Association's (NBA) recent expansion to mainland China, further exposed the game to millions of fans. Here in western Jamaica, the game has been growing by leaps and bounds, thanks mainly to the hard work of the young, bright and vibrant Western Basketball Association's executive.

The game in western Jamaica has grown from the initial league where there were more turnovers than points per game and far too many to make 'no look passes' to a fundamentally sound game from the ground up.

In addition to several men's competitions the game has grown to include a women's league and the very popular schoolboys' league that is played in two age groups.
We salute the efforts that are being made to constantly improve the leagues at all levels: coaching, officiating and organization. However, it is obvious that a lot more still needs to be done to get the league on par with the rest of the island.

In recent times, western teams' record against the rest of the country has been dismal to say the very least. Ironically, Lane Tigers' progress to the finals of the western region of the JPSCo all-island league was the best result for a western team in a long time.

Just Monday of this week, all four western schoolboys' representatives were soundly beaten in the ISSA/KFC national quarterfinals.

Cornwall College and Muschett both gave up 100 points or more at home to St Jago and St George's respectively; William Knibb was held to 16 points against Kingston College while Herbert Morrison High was held below 40 points and beaten by 30 points by Ardenne.