Marland Nattie... president of the Jamaica Amateur Basketball Association - FILE
THE JAMAICA PUBLIC Service (JPS) announced a three-year, $3m sponsorship of the Jamaica Amateur Basketball Association (JABA) Parish League on Monday.
A cheque presentation ceremony and launch of the league took place at JPS head office on Knutsford Boulevard.
The JPS/JABA Parish League will see the top team from each parish competing for prize money and trophies. The overall winners will receive $120,000 and a trophy. Second place will attract a prize of $80,000; third place will receive $50,000 while the fourth placed team will collect $25,000.
ROUND ROBIN FORMAT
Competition will begin in mid-March, and will see the teams placed in two zones - East and West - with seven teams each.
The teams will play in a round robin format, with the top two in each zone moving on to the semi-finals. The winners from the East zone will face the runner up in the West Zone in one semi-final, and the West Zone winners will play the East Zone runners- up, with the winners of each semi-final going to the final.
Marland Nattie, president, Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA), said the sponsorship was of tremendous value and importance to the basketball programme.
SUCCESS STORIES
Nattie spoke about the growth of basketball all over the island, and the success stories not only for players, but also for coaches and referees. He said Jamaica now has four international referees and three internationally certified referee trainers, a first for Jamaican basketball.
"What has been really good for the programme is the number of players that are now receiving scholarships to colleges overseas," he said.
One graduate of the local basketball programme, Samado Samuels, formerly of Muschette High School, who is now attending high school in the USA, is rated number two among high school players.
JPS community relations manager, Maurice Reid, said the league offers yet another opportunity for young people to be engaged in productive activity, "instead of picking up a gun to run a corner."
"It is against the background of deep commitment to community development that we proudly announce the sponsorship," Reid said.
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