Inaugural SL Basketball League scheduled for May 2, postponed
The inaugural Sri Lanka Basketball League ( SLBL) scheduled for May 2, has been postponed due to the present security situation in the country. Sri Lanka Basketball Federation ( SLBF) Vice President Chandana Litanage told the Sunday Times that the organising committee unanimously decided to monitor the situation in the country for some time, before declaring a possible new timeframe for the SLBL.
"The whole thing came as a surprise, not only for us at SLBF, but the whole of Sri Lanka. We were to meet on April 22 to discuss having the Auction Night within the same week itself, but with the unfortunate incidents that took place on April 21, we had to call off the whole operation," Liyanage stated.
With plans still under wraps, the SLBF was on the verge of completing the whole process of their behind- the- curtain activities by April 22, in order to begin the competition on May 2 or 3, but now the entire project is at a standstill after the deadly terrorist attacks.
The SLBL, Sri Lanka's first professional Basketball competition, brings a value of Rs 20,000-40,000 for a player, subject to seniority and demand, while coaches will also be paid handsomely during the competition to be held within 4- 6 weeks. The total amount spent on players and team officials will amount to over Rs. 2.1 million.
The teams already named are 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 was negotiating for the 2 remaining franchises.
"We have been having regular meetings. The decision is to observe the situation in the country for at least 2 more weeks and proceed according to developments. For now, we have earmarked August or September as potential starting days, with the final decision made after mid June," Liyanage revealed.
With only 60 players expected to grab the opportunity to play for 1 of the 6 franchise teams, after the auction, Liyanage said the response from players was overwhelming. By mid- April SLBL organisers had received over 100 applications, which has hit close to 200 as of now.
SLBF confirmed 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.
"It will be unfair and unfitting to have the auction and keep the players without any activities. Hence, we will have the Auction Night 2 weeks prior to Day 1 of the tournament. However, June and July are out, which means it will be August or most likely September," Liyanage added.
The forthcoming Under-19 Schools Basketball Championship, scheduled for June and July, will rule out any possibility of SLBL taking place during that period. According to the blueprints presently being drawn, the SLBL will be solely based on Sri Lanka's future in Basketball and the international commitments that may come across at given times.
Liyanage also stressed that the organising committee is regularlyly in touch with the sponsors as well as the franchise owners, who have in turn pledged their fullest support to conduct a comprehensive tournament. By the time the SLBL organisers were set to have the Auction Night in April, all sponsors and franchises were finalised, but Liyanage feels the layoff would give them more time and space to plan the competition properly.
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. Round 1 matches are scheduled to be played at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium and the Air Force Sports Club Indoor Courts in Colombo.