The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) regular season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, November 11.

The league’s opening night will be hosted at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium which is expected to be one of the facilities utilised for a few of the games this season.

Ricardo Smith, newly-elected NPBA president, is optimistic about the start of the regular season, especially the league’s opening night.

He said the planning committee is putting together something special for the season opener.

“I want people to get a feel of what it is like at the Superbowl or an All-Star showdown to show them the kind of emphasis and efforts that are put into those kinds of events,” Smith said.

The preparations for the NPBA officials involve finding different venues for games to be played.

According to Smith, some games throughout the season will get underway at Kendal GL Isaacs along with the DW Davis Gymnasium.

However, the main home for the NPBA games remains the AF Adderley Gymnasium but there are some setbacks.

“We do have one challenge with AF Adderley, that is after the government league championships it has been shut down for roof and floor renovations,” the president said.

The facility’s repairs were inevitable as the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association (BGDBA) playoff games were interrupted at different intervals due to water leaking through the roof.

The officials are presently awaiting more information on whether repairs will interfere with the start of the NPBA regular season.

Despite the setback, Smith promises the NPBA fans that the season is going to be great.

“I think that this is going to be a spectacular season. We are going to have a very exciting season. You are going to see basketball played at a very high level and we are going to make sure that we bring along the things that help to enhance the sport and get people to support it,” he said.

The NPBA president also addressed working along with the new executives since this summer’s elections.

“When you have a new team it is a matter of trying to get everybody to blend, second thing is you had a previous administration that did things a particular way and you now have to bring people along,” he said.

The process is ongoing for the NPBA officials as they find ways to successfully execute their plans for this upcoming basketball season.