Sportworld $$ for basketball

At a media conference at the VIP Lounge of the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo yesterday, Tony Harford, managing director of All Sports Promotion, who are marketing the tournament, said all stakeholders stand to benefit.

Harford said Sportworld will spend in excess of $70,000 to stage the play-offs, including payments to officials for all the venues where matches will be held throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

He said also that teams, for the first time, will receive 50 percent of the gate receipts at all stages of the tournament. Spectators will be charged $5 for entry to matches in the preliminary rounds. And half of that amount will be given to the Basketball Federation and the other half will be kept by the clubs.

Harford noted that matches in the semi-final and final rounds will also be split equally between the teams, but this time basketball fans will have to pay twice as much ($10) to see what is expected to be top level competition.

Sportworld will also have special give-aways during several nights of the tournament including sportwear items.

He added that clubs wishing to compete in the 2005 Sportworld Basketball Championship will have to play in the qualifying route of winning their respective zone or finishing as runners-up.

This year 15 teams will contest honours which include both men’s and women’s teams.

The Men’s Division will comprise two groups, the first of which will be headed by the North Zone champions Defence Force and consist the South West Zone champions Petro Jazz, the East Zone runners-up Royal Extra Lions and the South East Zone runners-up Shotters.

Group Two will be led by the East Zone champions Unit Trust Maloney Pacers, the South West Zone third place team Marabella Raptors, South Zone champions Indian Walk and the North Zone runners-up Detour Shak Attack.

The women will contest just one group which will consist of eight teams. Among them are North Zone champions Courts Horizons, North Zone runners-up Defence Force, North Zone third place team National Flour Mills, East Zone champions UTC Maloney Packers, East Zone runners-up Brian Chase Academy, East Zone third place team Police and the Tobago Zone’s Alpha Engineering Star Seekers.

Action begins this weekend with a double-header at the Maloney Complex featuring a women’s encounter between Courts Horizon and Blue Ribbon Brian Chase Academy from 6.30 pm. UTC Pacers and the Marabella Raptors will square-off in a men’s encounter at 8.30 pm. The winners of the men’s play-off will walk away with $10,000 and the runners-up will receive $5,000. The third place team will collect $3,000.

The champion women’s team will get $7,500 and the second place team will receive $3,000.

The third place team will pocket $1,500.

Sportworld will also dish out special prizes for players who perform well during the tournament. It includes a $1,000 cash award for the "Most Valuable Player" (MVP) of the tournament (both men and women) and a $300 cash voucher each for the Best Guard, Best Foward and Best Centre.

Special prizes will also be given out for the Most Disciplined Player, Most Discipline Team, Most Outstanding Coach and for the most three-pointers scored.

According to Harford, teams will not have to pay for registration for the first time this year as the expenses are being taken up by the sponsors Sportworld.

But he said that the clubs will have to fork out insurance money — $10 for each player for the entire tournament.

Harford further announced that there will be a half-hour package on the competition every Wednesday night at 9 pm on Gayelle the Channel and extended an offer to all radio and television companies to submit offers to cover the event.

Basketball Federation president Clayton Blackman described the sponsorship as a special event in the history of this country’s basketball.

He added that his federation has been in search of a sponsor for the league for the past years and likened Sportworld to a fairy godfather.

Sportworld representative Kirk Raghunanan said his company is committed to the development of the country and the youth through sports.