Royals, Raiders clash in opening night feature

The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) will bounce off its 2018 opening tournament with its ‘March Madness’ Open championship featuring its top four clubs tonight at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.
Linden champions Victory Valley Royals will tip off the night’s double header against fourth seed Retrieve Raiders at 18.30h while the second seed Half Mile Bulls clash with Amelia’s Ward Jets in the second game from 20.00h in the five-night championship.
The six-club championship which is sponsored by Banks DIH under their Malta Supreme brand will be played in a two group round-robin format with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals.

The other playing dates are March 11, 16, 18 and 24 when the final is to be played. The clubs are Royals, Bulls, Jets, Raiders, Flames and Falcons
Meanwhile, in a release Thursday following their LABA’s Executive Committee meeting on Monday, it was stated that when the LABA held its Annual General Meeting in January, three officers were elected to fill positions as the biennial term entered its second year.
Dr. Karen Perreira is the new 2nd Vice President, former assistant secretary Joel Webster is now the Treasurer and Dillette Marvin takes the position of assistant Secretary.
The three now join the others who were elected when the association held its AGM and Biennial Elections in January 2017, namely President Lawrence Simon, Abdulla Hamid 1st Vice President, Joseph Chapman- Secretary, Christopher Pollydore the Organising Secretary, Tracey Liverpool as Public Relations Officer and Committee Members Kevin Joseph, Eusi Francis and Hubert Wade. At the AGM last January also it was decided to boost the female game and national players Shanua Chester and Nichola Jacobs were chosen to represent that aspect on the association while Kerwin Abrams overlooks the refereeing and table officiating on the LABA.
The release also noted that president Simon, speaking at the AGM on January 10, at the Mackenzie Sports Club Lounge, said he was elated “to report that we are making some progress in some areas, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Looking at the hurdles faced over the past year Simon pointed out that the failure of some members to make themselves available to function effectively, has resulted in the association deciding to elect new officers with the hope of operating with a higher efficiency this year.
Dr. Perreira, previously served the association as a table official before leaving to study medicine via a scholarship in Cuba. She along with the other two executives were elected unopposed by the six of the seven clubs which attended last January’s AGM.
Those clubs were Amelia’s Ward Jets, Bankers Trust Falcons, Retrieve Raiders, Victory Valley Royals and Block 22 Flames with the only club absent being Half Mile Bulls.