Basketball in Africa

This paper has reliably learnt that the deadlock which has hit basketball activities for more than 5 months now has been broken with clear signals from the Youth and Sports Ministry that the money needed to close last year's league season and start the 2014 season is being processed for release by the Finance Ministry.

A credible source said the leadership of Rufus Anderson can now breathe a sigh of release as there have been mounting criticisms from pundits in the sporting arena that he was losing sight of effectively administering the affairs of the basketball game in the Country. Since the national league ended few months to the climax of 2013, top flight Champions LPRC and other champs in the lower divisions have yet to receive their honors commensurate with their respective achievements.

No reasons have been provided to the media by the Basketball Association's leadership but some reports in the local sporting press have also pointed fingers to the long haul federations and associations face in getting funds from their allotment in the national sports budget to finance their programs.

The long awaited official closure of the 2013 national league, our source said, will now take place at the end of February while the new league season has been scheduled to kickoff March 5, 2014 at the Sports Commission Gymnasium on Broad Street.

Through the lobbying efforts of Montserrado County Representatives Solomon George, Munah Pelham-Youngblood and other members of the House's Sports Committee, Basketball takes a giant step in terms of the envelope the Youth and Sports Ministry currently provides the 21 recognized sporting federations and associations.

Last fiscal year, their efforts saw the game monumentally climb up the ladder from US$10,000 to US$100,000. Similar amount was again allocated for the current fiscal year.