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NBL unlikely for 2020

Published:Monday | August 24, 2020 | 12:45 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
Gordon
Gordon

With the recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, Paulton Gordon, president of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA), said that it is unlikely that the National Basketball League (NBL) will resume this year.

Jamaica has recorded a huge surge of the virus in recent weeks, with the country registering over 1,400 total cases.

The NBL, which is the country’s premier basketball competition, has been suspended since March following the outbreak of the deadly virus in Jamaica.

Gordon told The Gleaner that while his administration continues to await the approval of the protocols from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, it seems very doubtful that the competition will go ahead this year.

“Based on what I am seeing, it is unlikely it (season) will go ahead,” said Gordon. “That is the possibility, but I don’t want to pronounce on it until we have more clarity from the Ministry of Health.

“The spread is getting worse, and for everybody’s safety, we have to wait on the Ministry of Health to determine what is happening,” Gordon stated. “However, the foremost thing in our minds is the safety of the players, coaches and all who are involved.”

Standstill

The JaBA boss underscored that since the postponement of the NBL, the local basketball fraternity has been at a standstill because a number of summer camps have since been cancelled due to the pandemic.

Among them are the Digicel NBA Camp, the Jump Star Camp, as well as the Star Search Clinic.

“The whole basketball community is very saddened about this because nothing is happening in terms of actively playing basketball,” said Gordon.

“We had a few clinics with some schools in the summer and that is it, and so everybody is hoping and praying that we can get across this hurdle,” he said. “The board will have to look and the board will have to make a determination based on the guidance of the Ministry of Sports.”