19 October 2011
SEYCHELLES : Referees no-show spoils weekend of matches
Referees are crucial for any competitive matches to take place, but they can also spoil the game with their bad and unfair decisions and most notably with their absence.
Three matches were not played during the weekend as no referees showed up. Among those was the men’s division one encounter between defending champions PLS Hawks and former champs Baya who had prepared hard for the top-flight encounter.
The referees also decided to stay away for both of Sunday’s matches although two teams – HotShots and Drifters – had travelled all the way from Anse Boileau to Victoria to play. HotShots were to play Juniors in the women’s league and Drifters were to clash with Cascade Bullets in a men’s division one game.
Speaking to Sports Nation, a disgusted Seychelles Basketball Federation (SBF) chairman Roy Collie said: “It’s an unacceptable situation that referees decide to shun matches. Something must be done to resolve this situation which looks bad on the federation.”
Asked what will happen to referees who deliberately skip matches or do not bother to look for replacements when they cannot be present as a result of their professional obligations, Mr Collie replied:
“There’s nothing in writing, but the SBF executive committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the matter fully.”
The fact that players and fans who take out their frustrations of their teams’ failures on the referees whose job is to interpret the laws of the game to the players, are hit with long-term bans, referees have to be more serious as paid spectators can turn towards the SBF to have their tickets refunded. This could turn out to be a mess.
Mr Collie noted that both HotShots and Drifters have made it clear they will make written claims for transport fares after their matches were not played.
“Each claim costs the SBF R1,000 and if all the six teams send in written claims we will have to refund a total of R6,000. Where do we get this money? Referees don’t realise that their boycotting or simply skipping matches is hurting the game and the federation,” said Mr Collie who added that two HotShots supporters have been banned until the end of the season for using abusive language towards the officials.
Although HotShots narrowly won the women’s title decider 55-53 against Anse Etoile Stars, it was not enough to earn them their fourth league title in a row as the Stars dethroned them.
Meanwhile, on the court, Premium Cobras returned from a two-point half-time deficit to outscore Mont Fleuri Dawgz 41-28 in the second half for a 65-54 win on Saturday.
Top scorer with 27 points in Cobras’ 83-75 win over PLS Hawks the weekend before, Nigerian Ugbaje Ajodoh again led them with 20 points as they stay top on the 10-team standings with 29 points after 13 wins and three losses.
The defeat was the Dawgz’ fifth in 15 games and they have 25 points – the same total as Baya who also boast the same win-lose record.
RC Dynamics conceded two defeats in five days – losing 62-73 to MBU Rockers and 79-89 to Angels – to find themselves in eighth place on the table with 22 points after five wins and 12 losses in 17 games played.
Anse Boileau-based Angels who got a game-high 35 points from Keiren Agathine, are in sixth position with 24 points (seven wins and 10 losses), while MBU Rockers are the current runners-up with 27 points (12 wins and three losses).
In the men’s division two league, leaders Juniors have opened a six-point lead on runners-up Anse Etoile whom they beat 86-48. They have 23 points after winning 11 of their 12 matches, while Anse Etoile, who also lost 49-59 away to Praslin Warriors during the weekend, have a 7-3 win-lose record for 17 points – the same total as the Praslin-based team.
In the only women’s match played, Mont Fleuri consolidated third place in the standings with a 75-26 win over bottom team Cadettes.
G. G.
Three matches were not played during the weekend as no referees showed up. Among those was the men’s division one encounter between defending champions PLS Hawks and former champs Baya who had prepared hard for the top-flight encounter.
The referees also decided to stay away for both of Sunday’s matches although two teams – HotShots and Drifters – had travelled all the way from Anse Boileau to Victoria to play. HotShots were to play Juniors in the women’s league and Drifters were to clash with Cascade Bullets in a men’s division one game.
Speaking to Sports Nation, a disgusted Seychelles Basketball Federation (SBF) chairman Roy Collie said: “It’s an unacceptable situation that referees decide to shun matches. Something must be done to resolve this situation which looks bad on the federation.”
Asked what will happen to referees who deliberately skip matches or do not bother to look for replacements when they cannot be present as a result of their professional obligations, Mr Collie replied:
“There’s nothing in writing, but the SBF executive committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the matter fully.”
The fact that players and fans who take out their frustrations of their teams’ failures on the referees whose job is to interpret the laws of the game to the players, are hit with long-term bans, referees have to be more serious as paid spectators can turn towards the SBF to have their tickets refunded. This could turn out to be a mess.
Mr Collie noted that both HotShots and Drifters have made it clear they will make written claims for transport fares after their matches were not played.
“Each claim costs the SBF R1,000 and if all the six teams send in written claims we will have to refund a total of R6,000. Where do we get this money? Referees don’t realise that their boycotting or simply skipping matches is hurting the game and the federation,” said Mr Collie who added that two HotShots supporters have been banned until the end of the season for using abusive language towards the officials.
Although HotShots narrowly won the women’s title decider 55-53 against Anse Etoile Stars, it was not enough to earn them their fourth league title in a row as the Stars dethroned them.
Meanwhile, on the court, Premium Cobras returned from a two-point half-time deficit to outscore Mont Fleuri Dawgz 41-28 in the second half for a 65-54 win on Saturday.
Top scorer with 27 points in Cobras’ 83-75 win over PLS Hawks the weekend before, Nigerian Ugbaje Ajodoh again led them with 20 points as they stay top on the 10-team standings with 29 points after 13 wins and three losses.
The defeat was the Dawgz’ fifth in 15 games and they have 25 points – the same total as Baya who also boast the same win-lose record.
RC Dynamics conceded two defeats in five days – losing 62-73 to MBU Rockers and 79-89 to Angels – to find themselves in eighth place on the table with 22 points after five wins and 12 losses in 17 games played.
Anse Boileau-based Angels who got a game-high 35 points from Keiren Agathine, are in sixth position with 24 points (seven wins and 10 losses), while MBU Rockers are the current runners-up with 27 points (12 wins and three losses).
In the men’s division two league, leaders Juniors have opened a six-point lead on runners-up Anse Etoile whom they beat 86-48. They have 23 points after winning 11 of their 12 matches, while Anse Etoile, who also lost 49-59 away to Praslin Warriors during the weekend, have a 7-3 win-lose record for 17 points – the same total as the Praslin-based team.
In the only women’s match played, Mont Fleuri consolidated third place in the standings with a 75-26 win over bottom team Cadettes.
G. G.
# posted by afrbk : 15:58
