The BVI Basketball Federation’s Summer Basketball League tipped off with an opening ceremony on May 13.
The ceremony started with teams marching from the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports to the Multi-purpose Sports Complex.
This year a new division has been added to the league. The D-League is made up of 13- to 16-year-olds. Although there have been other youth basketball events, this is the first time the junior players are included in the summer league.
“We put this division together to try and give kids some more time playing with the whistle,” BVIBF’s Public Relations Officer Rawlston Williams said. “Before we’ve had Biddy Basketball, but they haven’t been included like this.”
The Junior and Senior divisions held rematches from the 2011 championship games on Saturday. The defending Junior champions the Hawks played a rematch against Another Level, while last year’s second-place team East faced off against returning champions Legs.
Mr. Williams said the Junior and Senior divisions are fielding the largest number of teams, because of consolidation of talent from previous seasons.
“We’ve had 12 or 13 teams before, but it kind of dwindled because we let players pick their teams,” Mr. Williams said. “There was only like four teams for awhile because people wanted to be on certain teams. It’s good to have more teams.”
This year there are 26 teams in three divisions.
The league will continue competition on Friday at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex. The Jr. Pure Playaz will take on Another Level at 6 p.m., the Hawks will play the Skulls at 8 p.m. and the Rebels go up against the Latinos.
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