Basketball players, coaches fine-tune during down time

CHEVON Le Gendre, chairman of the East Zone Basketball Commission (EZBC) said players, coaches and other officials have been innovative in utilising their down time in the midst of the covid19 pandemic, and are all eagerly awaiting a return to action for the 2020 season, if possible.

The EZBC is one of the National Basketball Federation of TT's few consistently active zones and is typically a breeding ground for many of the country's best basketball talents.

Noting that the health and safety of all participants are paramount he said there is no sure date for start of the 2020 EZBC competitions but suggested stakeholders are optimistic that the 2020 season will be able to run in its entirety.

"We’re in an unpredictable situation at the moment and there’s no fixed answer to when competition in the East Zone can begin," Le Gendre said.

"What we can say is that the health of our players, officials, the fans, that is our primary focus. So, we're paying attention to the guidance provided by the national, and international, medical officials, and we’ll work to move forward from there."

When the dust clears, he said, he anticipates discussion among the NBFTT board of directors to assess the situation and work on a way forward.

"Currently, the federation’s constitution outlines specific time frames for zonal, national and independently-hosted competitions," he said, adding that adjustments may be required to accommodate each grouping, but that the federation is "hopeful for an overall improvement."

"Teams were very excited about the start of the 2020 season, so many were left disappointed by the impact of the coronavirus," Le Gendre said.

"What we have seen, however, is players and coaches utilising innovative ways to work on fitness and tactics, and we continue to encourage teams to use this down-time to fine-tune their administrative operations, as well."

While potential scenarios of presenting the 2020 season are being considered, the chairman said the EZBC has only outlined ideas and is "nowhere near a final decision."

"Everyone is looking forward to the return of on-court action, but we have no intention of compromising the safety of stakeholders to facilitate it. Extreme patience will be exercised when coming to a decision, and as mentioned before, this will be guided by the suggestions of medical experts," said Le Gendre.