Basketball fans in the Virgin Islands will now be afforded a better opportunity to attend games of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships this year with tickets being reduced from $20 to $5. Photo: VINO/File

Director (Owner) of Play 2 Win Limited Mrs Dawn Crabbe-Herbert said the aim this year is to have more persons attend the CBC games to help accomplish their mission of further promoting the sport in the Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO

President of the BVI Basketball Federation Mr Guy L. Malone is flanked by President of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation, Mr Glyne Clarke (right) and Vice President of Finance and Marketing, Mr Patrick Haynes at the launch of the CBC Basketball Championships at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex on April 20, 2015. Photo: VINO

The draw for the 2015 CBC Championships for Men and Women. Photo: Provided

The 2015 Men’s and Women’s CBC Championships were launched at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex on April 20, 2015. Photo: VINO

Lessons learnt, the organisers Play to Win, in collaboration with the BVI Basketball Federation (BVIBF), has decided to make a major dip in ticket prices-from $20 to $5- for this year’s championship at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex from June 8 - 21, 2015.

Speaking to Virgin Islands News Online at the launching of the championships yesterday April 20, 2015 at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, Director (Owner) of Play 2 Win Limited Mrs Dawn Crabbe-Herbert said the aim is to have more persons attend the games to help accomplish their mission of further promoting the sport in the Virgin Islands.

“The turnout last year was not as we anticipated so this year we are ensuring that is not a factor. The tickets will be five dollars, a move from 20 dollars to five dollars to the games. We want to make sure persons are afforded the opportunity to come out and support the games.”

Mrs Crabbe also said school children will be afforded the opportunity to attend certain games free of charge.

“All of the schools would be able to come to the first two games free of charge. So we want our kids to see the opportunities that can be awarded by playing in championships and preparing themselves for championships of this magnitude,” Mrs Crabbe-Herbert stated.

The 2015 Men’s and Women’s CBC Championships were launched in the presence of President of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation, Mr Glyne Clarke, Vice President of Finance and Marketing, Mr Patrick Haynes, President of the BVI Basketball Federation Mr Guy L. Malone and President of the BVI Olympic Committee Mr Ephraim E. Penn among others.

Meanwhile, Mrs Crabbe-Herbert is elated about the territory being able to host the tournament for a second consecutive year.

“We had expressed to CBC since last year to continue the partnership to hosting games and we were successful in fulfilling those requirements, and no other country was able to fulfil those requirements, thus we were awarded the rights.”

Asked what prompted the Virgin Islands to get the edge on requirements, Mrs Crabbe-Herbert said “Our passion in growing our sports tourism product.”

“Being able to host games at this magnitude allows for more money going in to the hotels, more money into our transportation sector, to government because of income and departure tax, and visas. So the opportunity is a holistic approach, not just one entity benefits but the entire territory.”

World will be tuned in to the VI

Meanwhile, the organisers said more than thirty channels from around the Caribbean, North America, South America and Europe will have their antennas directed to the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Road Town, Tortola, Virgin Islands.

Cable TV Channels including LIME TV, Flow, Karib Cable, Caribbean Cable Communications in the Caribbean, E-Networks in South America, Bell Fibe TV in Canada, Cablevision in the United States among others, will broadcast the tournament to give three berths in the Men and Women Championships for Centorbasket2016.

CMC Cablevision will be responsible for producing the international signal that will be seen in around the world in High Definition Television (HDTV).

Cloudio TV (www.cloudiotv.com) and CaribBe TV (www.caribbetv.com) will be streaming Live to the United Kingdom and Europe. Cloudio TV is available via your Smart TV, Roku and EE devices, iPhone and iPad App Store and the Google Play Store.

In addition, through the official championship website, www.tortola2015.com and the Official website of the CBC, www.caribbeanbasketball.com, fans will be able to watch live coverage of every game.