Basketball set-up annoys players

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 25

Basketball set-up annoys players

By

FRANK DUGGAN

if the Alan Hoben Trophy is causing some headaches for the Canterbury Basketball Association it is twice as bad for the seven clubs and the players involved in the first main competition of the season for senior men's sides. The situation is now quite serious. The trophy is generally the first main competition of the season and played over two rounds, followed by the championship proper. This is not the case this year, mainly because of Countrywide league commitments and at various times the unavailability of one, sometimes two, of the two main basketball venues, Cowles and Pioneer stadiums. Some clubs consider the position farcical and criticism has also been levelled at the association for starting some of the games at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Admittedly most of these games involve a team which has to play a “doubleheader” during the day, but even so a more sensible time could be arrived at. “Basketball in Christchurch would be the only sport in New Zealand which has to start its Saturday senior men’s competition at such an early hour,” said a leading club official this week. “It is ludicrous and certainly does not attract much interest, either from the players or the spectators.” Problems there may be with arranging suitable draws around persistant hindrances, but many officials have pointed out

what they consider glaring faults and inconsistencies in the draws. They instanced practically every team in the senior men’s grade. Vistalite High School Old Boys, who shares the competition lead with Edgeware Service Station-Mairehau and Collins Real EstateUniversity, has played 10 games, three of which have been against Admiral Lodge-Checkers — second last in the competition. Old Boys have played Y.M.C.A. — the second game was scheduled for last Saturday but postponed — only once, as well as Mairehau and Continental Caterers-Rangiora. Apart from three games with Old Boys, Checkers has also played Rangiora three times, and met University, Y.M.C.A. and Aranui only once in 11 matches. Mairehau is slightly better off, Old Boys and Rangiora being the only sides it has met once in 11 matches. The draws for University and Y.M.C.A. are more consistent, but the same cannot be said of Rangiora who has played Checkers and Aranui three times in 11 games, and only one against Y.M.C.A., Old Boys and Mairehau. The main championship will start on July 23, which leaves only Saturdays to wind up the Hoben Trophy series and unless some midweek matches are played the competition will be inconclusive. There were no matches this weekend because of league games. Postponing the Old BoysY.M.C.A. game last Saturday afternoon was hard to follow. The game was

scheduled for 2.30 p.m. at Cowles Stadium, but late in the week the teams were told that it would have to be put off because the stadium was needed early in the afternoon by the contractors who erect extra seating foieague matches. Originally there was to have been a curtain-raiser to the 3ZM Canterbury-Pori-rua league match between the under-20 Canterbury and Otago teams. However, Otago later pulled out and without any real consideration for the senior men’s competition, a game was arranged for 6 p.m. between the under-20 Canterbury team and a H. 5.0.8. invitation side. Certainly it was good experience for the younger side scheduled to play in the national championships in the next few weeks. All it did, however, was to further upset the senior competition. Surely another time and place could have been arranged for what was more or less a “throw-up.” Where are the priorities? JUWJmiMIMMII .111 JI Ml I llll'HWl 11,1 H Mllir.glWlMl