Bahamas’ basketballers arrive for Championships

Until now Belize’s National Basketball team has been the only game in town. No longer. The first of their five CARICOM opponents arrived this morning, equipped with both first division college and semi pro experience. The eleven member male team from the Bahamas has been working out for the past two weeks and News Five’s Arreini Palacio found them confident and ready to take the championship trophy back to Nassau.

Charles Mckey, Bahamas Coach

“This team is the revitalization of the Bahamas Men’s National Program. We have some fellows that have been in the program some ten years now. This team is blended with youth and experience. We have the experience in Cambridge, Michael and youth in point guard Quentin and Cremado King. Our young players that can fit in with the veterans players and we did not come here to loose. As I said it is rebuilding our program.”

Quentin Hall, Point Guard

“This team has come together on a short notice. You know we just put the team together. We’ve finally got all 11 guys together on Monday. The chemistry will have to play over this time. I don’t know how good it gets, but we hope it gets together.”

Michael Wilson, Small Forward

“Well right now we are taking a more up tempo type style. We have some players that like to get up and down the court. That’s the way we’re playing.”

Dexter Cambridge, Center

“Well, Belize has got to prove what they’ve got. So the Bahamas has come in so they just have to prove to us what they’re all about.”

Charles McKey

“Well I guess Belize would take that position. I have not been to a lot of the national games, but I guess they are tired of being considered the doormat, you know. And the Bahamas used to be the supreme in the initiation of the CARICOM Basketball Tournament but you know Jamaica and Trinidad seemed to have taken the lead and having been at the top for the initial years. Quests us to come back for the top spot; so we are going to come and give it our best shot.”

The Bahamas will not be sending their female team. The other CARICOM teams will be arriving in the country on Thursday and Friday. Late word via satellite from Barbados is that their coach is complaining that his team was unable to get any practice time in the island’s only professional caliber gym. Meanwhile a number of present and former NBA players also arrived in town today for tonight’s exhibition game with the Belize National Team at City Centre.