NBL1’s inaugural seasons cancelled over virus

THE first NBL1 North season has been cancelled.

The rebranded Queensland Basketball League, along with NBL1 South and NBL1 Central, were already postponed until May due to the COVID-19 outbreak. But the NBL, in conjunction with Basketball Victoria, Basketball Queensland and Basketball South Australia, has decided to cancel the 2020 season. The decision follows the indefinite closure of indoor sports centres because of COVID-19.

In a statement released yesterday, NBL Chief Operating Officer Andy Crook said it was unfortunate but “is the most appropriate decision under the current circumstances”.

“The health and safety of players, staff and officials as well as the wider community comes first,” he said. “We also want to allow the clubs to focus on re-establishing grassroots basketball as a matter of priority when the time is right.

“I want to acknowledge the efforts of everyone involved in NBL1, in particular Basketball Victoria, Basketball Queensland, Basketball South Australia

FOOTBALL: Wellington’s five imported players have been granted clearance to return to New Zealand as the club packs its bags following six futile days of isolation in Sydney.

FFAs decision to postpone the A-League season forced the Phoenix to end their stay at a secret facility where they had lived and trained for nearly half of the two-week quarantine period required for them to stay in the competition.

They will return home before NZ goes into effective “lockdown” late today.

There had been concerns the club’s five visa-holding players wouldn’t be allowed back through customs under tight border restrictions introduced to counter COVID-19.

But Phoenix general manager David Dome confirmed Immigration NZ had provided clearance for English trio Steven Taylor, Gary Hooper and David Ball to return, along with German Matti Steinmann and Mexican Ulises Davila.

It will nevertheless be a wrenching result for Davila after his decision to join the team in isolation rather than travel to Mexico to be with his wife, who has just given birth to their first child.

Four Australian players on the Phoenix roster – Luke DeVere, Reno Piscopo, Jaushua Sotirio and Brandon Wilson – will join their Australian-based families.

Daniel Gilhooly

and all of our clubs and players. We will work with them as we continue to monitor the situation and work towards resuming basketball at a community level at the appropriate time.”