Guy L. Malone. Photo: VINO/File

Steve E. Parillon. Photo: VINO/File

The Virgin Islands (VI), a member of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) was a no show for this year’s 2018 games now going on in Paramaribo, Suriname. Photo: Internet Source

The CBC women games started June 17, 2018 to June 23, 2018 and the men's leg from June 24, 2018 to June 30, 2018.

Over the years, the VI has always fielded a national team representing the Territory in the regional basketball games where the British Overseas Territory of the VI always does well.

This year’s CBC games, is also a FIBA AmeriCup 2021, Caribbean Pre-Qualifier and the FIBA Caribbean Cup, for both male and female.

VI why a no show?

President of the local BVI Basketball Federation (BVIBF), Mr Guy L. Malone, did not immediately respond to our queries, as to why the VI national basketball team did not attend.

Veteran basketball, player Steve E. Parillon, in a social media post last week expressed how “disappointed,” he was that the Territory did not sent a national team to the games and that is “not a good sign” for the promotion and sustaining of basketball in the VI.

There are about three players living in the VI, but are nationals of other Caribbean countries who have gone to the games—being played at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo, Suriname—to represent their home country including Ray D. Victor, who is on the Guyana national team and Daven D. Ottley, playing for St. Vincent and the Grenadines national team.

Who are CBC members?

The CBC is a Sub-Zone of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). CBC's membership consists of those national basketball federations of those countries as agreed/assigned by FIBA.

Member countries are: Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hope for VI in St. Maarten

Meanwhile, the VI will be represented next month in the annual ‘Dreams to Reality’ foundation 2018 battle of the fittest, 5 on 5 Basketball Tournament, from July 15 to July 21, 2018 at LB Scott Sports Auditorium St Maarten.

The VI will compete against nine other Caribbean countries, including a team from the United States. The team ‘BVI Bayside Blazers’ has been sanctioned by the BVIBF to carry the Territory’s flag and be the official VI team in the one week tournament.