Inaugural Sri Lanka Basketball League set for May 2

Around 100 local Cagers will go under the hammer next week, when the 6 franchises pick the strongest combination for the inaugural Sri Lanka Basketball League (SLBL) set to begin May 2.

The Sri Lanka Basketball Federation (SLBF) is in the process of calling for applications from Cagers, and by now, since the launch of the SLBL last week, over 100 Cagers have shown interest to feature in the inaugural professional tournament to be held in the island.

Sri Lanka Basketball (SLBB), which completes 102 years, interestingly though, is not among the top listed or lucrative sports in SL. Nevertheless, SLBF has taken the initiative to repeat the success of their big brothers in the United States of America and other parts of the world, and make BB akin to a National sport.

"We must start somewhere, and I think this is the ideal beginning for a new era in SLBB. This is the first time ever that BB will be played at a professional level, and we at SLBF, are equally excited by the fact that it has already generated a lot of enthusiasm," an overly excited SLBF Vice President Chandana Liyanage told the Sunday Times.

According to the blueprint being drawn presently, the SLBL will be solely based on SL's future in BB, and the international commitments that may come our way at given times. Through the inaugural SLBL, the local governing body earmarks the 2024 Olympics, where Sri Lanka has already made plans to directly qualify through the 3x3 format.

"With that in mind, we have made it compulsory that all teams should have an Under (U)-18 player in the squad, and he should be given at least one-quarter of playtime. In addition, we have also instructed the team officials to include 2 U-23 players and utilise them the proper way. Of course, the attraction and responsibility during a game will be on the shoulders of the seniors, who will be categorised under 3 buckets at the auction," Liyanage explained.

The SLBL will nominate a value of Rs 20,000-40,000 on a player, depending on seniority and demand, while coaches will also be paid handsomely, for the competition that will be held within a 4-6 week period. The total amount spent on players and team officials will amount to over Rs 2.1 million.

The teams have been named as Colombo Warriors, Kandy Kings, Galle Express, Gampaha Jets, Jaffna Crabs and Batticaloa Sunrise. Already 4 of the 6 franchises have been taken over by sponsors, while the SLBF is currently negotiating for the 2 remaining franchises. Over 60 Cagers are expected to vie for 1 of the 6 franchise teams, after the auction. Currently, the SLBF has said that players who have played in one of the recently concluded Senior Nationals, Mercantile League Division 'A' and Colombo Super League Division 'A', are eligible for the auction.

"The selected players will be paid through the SLBF on the specific amount they are valued at through the auction. There will be other benefits provided for the players too. However franchises are welcome to remunerate their players as they wish, besides what they are paid by the SLBF. As of now, we can confirme that a number of elite players have come on board," explained Liyanage on the valuations of players.

With plans still being drawn, the SLBF expects to complete the whole process of their behind-the-scenes activities by April 22, in order to begin the competition on May 2 or 3. The tournament, sponsored by Mobitel, will see the winning franchise of the inaugural SLBL walk away with a handsome cash award of Rs 1 million. The 1st Round matches aren scheduled to be played at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium and the Air Force Sports Club Indoor Courts in Colombo, while the final is scheduled for the 2nd week of June at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, and evaluate the tournament as a whole.

SL has a strong community base of 12,000 BB players, with 126 schools participating in the sport. With the recent development of, and success in the shorter 3x3 format, SL secured a World Cup spot in 2016. The SLBL hopes to generate more hype and interest among the general public while targeting international glory.