Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 12, 2009 Sports
By Edison Jefford
After successful meetings with various stakeholders, Next Level Entertainment (NLE) is beaming with optimism that their mega basketball championship is here to stay after last year’s perceptible and premature hiatus.
One of the company’s Directors, Jamaal Douglas told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that their annual nationwide basketball extravaganza is back and with all major stakeholders in unison, the tournament will remain a feature.
“The ‘Next Level’ tournament is here and here to stay unless there are bigger problems that we can’t handle, but the Next Level tournament is here and in full force right now,” Douglas said in an exclusive interview.
After hosting a tremendous inaugural championship in 2006 and returning with a similar outcome a year later, the NLE tournament disappeared last year leaving only the taste of the previous years in the mouths of enthusiasts.
But as Douglas intimated, the hiatus was unavoidable owing to the perceived economic constraints in the country, which affected their sponsorship. He said there was nothing the promotion company could have done.
“The tournament never actually stopped. It’s just that last year we had a major problem with sponsorship due to the situation in the country and we did not get to launch it how we wanted to,” the NLE Director indicated.
The absence of the ‘Next Level’ tournament coupled with the unfortunate cancellation of the Washington DC Jammers tour last year really affected the proliferation of the sport since players had no serious avenue to compete.
The news of the return of ‘Next Level’ is expected to be meted with elation as moves to engage the relevant associations are ongoing. Douglas said that the promotions company has the associations “shaking hands”.
“Right now the tournament is back and is more solid than ever before because we have the basketball federation and associations shaking hands,” he said, adding that that attitude will lead to a successful return.
“This is going to be the smoothest and best basketball tournament ‘Next Level’ has ever pulled off because we have all hands agreeing with us right now,” an optimistic and upbeat Douglas told this newspaper.
Since sponsorship punctured the ball for the group that also comprises, Yannick Charles and Travis Shepherd, Douglas was asked to give some insight on that aspect of planning for the quickly approaching 2009 event.
“Sponsorship is always there and the associations, federation and everybody are on board with us right now. We have no problem where that is concerned. This tournament is the smoothest we have ever held so far,” he observed.
Asked if the recent suspension of Kashif and Shanghai Kings contradicts that claim, the NLE Director remained sanguine about the team’s chances of playing in the tournament that seeks to attract the best clubs in Guyana.
Kings won the first championship in 2006 and Courts Pacesetters claimed the second title in 2007. The two clubs are arguably the two leading franchises in the sport locally and are expected to play in the NLE event this year.
“Kings will be missed if they don’t get to play because it’s the team that actually won the first ‘Next Level’ tournament. They bring a lot of Linden fans to Georgetown; I just hope that they resolve that problem,” Douglas pleaded.
He added that the two sub–associations: the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association and the Linden Amateur Basketball Association are still in the process of seeding their top teams ahead of the usually knockout event.
“The planning is coming along excellently, it [the tournament] will start Sunday March 1 and we plan on having a big opening ceremony–planning to invite Executive delegates and to have march past of teams,” he outlined.
With ‘a third’ of the company overseas and the perception that the championship was the brainchild of Charles, a question about how his absence will impact the tournament and if he was involved in the planning was posed.
“Yannick [who is overseas] was here in December and January and the foundation of the tournament was planned throughout. It’s just about executing the tournament and myself and Travis are able to do that,” Douglas replied.
In addition, the Most Valuable Player or MVP Trophy will be named the Ravi Boodhoo Outstanding Player Award while approximately $500,000 is cash prizes and $200,000 in replicas will be handed out to the top teams.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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