Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Don Bosco Oratory in association with AOA Basketball Academy will organise their first B-Division League of Goa – The Challenge, at a different venue in the State starting from June 3.
The league, which will be held under the aegis of Goa Basketball Association, will consist of nine men team and three women team out of which top two team will promoted to A League – ‘Championship’ to be played in September.
The matches will be played on 12 Sundays over a period of 3 months with four matches per day. The inaugural match will be held at DBO Fatorda (newly constructed outdoor fibre court) followed by Porvorim, Saligao, SFX Siolim and DBO Panjim.
GBA, in an attempt to promote basketball in the State, has planned a series of basketball league which will give a constant exposure to the teams and help raise the standard.
The B-Division league will be followed by A League to be called as Championship in September. In between (mid-June) the Association has also planned inter-school (U-19) school league under the aegis of Basketball Federation of India (BFI) where the winning team will participate in the national school league to be held in Kolkata.
“GBA presently has 22 clubs, 39 teams and 595 players who are officially registered with the association. This growing interest and exponential growth in the sport has inspired Don Bosco Oratory to take the initiative of organising the league”, said Fr. Ralin De Souza at the press conference.
“The league was first conceived of by Sir Michael Dias (DBO Coordinator) and Olencio Dias (AOA Baskebtall Academy) to give weaker teams a healthy competition to develop and help promote disciplined officials”, he added.
Each participating team besides organising proper kits and fixed Jersey nos, have to sign an agreement of discipline and promote two officials to organise the league.
The nine men’s team include Lourdes BC, Sonics Brittos, Assailants 12, DBO Chargers, Siolim Basketeers, DBO Fatorda, Vasco Marines, Panjim Basketeers Club and YMCA Titans while the three women’s team are DBO Hawks (Fatorda), DBO Lynx (Panjim) and Sonics.
