Basketball Federation looks towards pre-Olympic qualifier

A decision of the International Court of Arbitration for Sports, which was delivered on Tuesday, opens the way for the national basketball team to compete in the pre-Olympic games. The Court based in Switzerland on Tuesday ruled in favor of the Belize Basketball Federation which appealed a FIBA decision to disqualify six members of the national team that played at the COCABA games in Cancun last year. At a press conference this morning, the federation also announced that the team is heading to Santo Domingo where the Centro Basket Tournament will be played. The top four winning teams will then head to the FIBA Americas tournament, which will be a pre-qualifier to the London Olympics.  News Five’s Jose Sanchez has the recap of the challenge emanating from the big win in Cancun to the latest news from the Federation.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

After slaughtering both Guatemala and Nicaragua in the competition, the President of COCABA games in Cancun became the bearer of bad news from FIBA.

Enrique Basulto, President COCABA (Aug 11, 2009)
“The situation with Belize is that they turned in documents to FIBA America that had six players that needed to be revised by FIBA International. Based on this information, it was not clear whether they are players from Belize, by birth specifically. FIBA has a rule regarding nationalization, which states that each country can select one player with a questionable nationality status and that is what we told the Belizean team.”

FIBA had made moves to disqualify Herbert Allen, Dakin Braddick, Charlie Burgess, Kenan Jourdan, Kyron Stokes and Marlon Garnett because they thought they were not Belizeans, but sporting mercenaries, athletes hired to destroy the competition.  The team continued to play in protest and lost one game, to host country Mexico.  Despite winning silver, a legal battle ensued with Attorney Godfrey Smith taking the case pro-bono. FIBA quickly struck down the appeal, which Smith then took to a higher body, the Court of Arbitration for Sports. That ruling in our favor came on April twentieth.

Julian Murillo, Secretary General, BBF

julian murillo

“I think it is acknowledged by FIBA and the decision released that Belize never intended or sought to do anything that is outside the letter and scope of FIBA’s internal regulations. I believe FIBA would accept that. What is instructive is advice from this court to FIBA that obviously FIBA’s basis is to stop what they call sport mercenaries from taking up a nationality of convenience so as to advance a countries success. What this decision has done is be an instruction from CAS to FIBA to say hey listen we understand what you’re trying to say, however the way you’ve gone about it is not the best way and we recommend these changes to your internal regulations.”

But prior to winning the appeal, FIBA has changed its internal regulations so Belize or any other country won’t be able to take any further disagreements to the Court of Arbitration in Switzerland.

Jose Sanchez

“Does it not concern you that this body that solidified this victory is no longer gone to us?”

Julian Murillo

“It’s a huge concern and to be honest with you, it was a little bit surprising considering that as an entity, the BBF is a member of FIBA and we expect to have certain rights. So how we would deal with anything that should arise after disputes, we’ll certainly have to consider all options then.”

Jose Sanchez

“The relationship with FIBA, is it strained at this point?”

Paul Thompson

Paul Thompson, President BBF

“Up until this point the relationship has been very professional. We had support from them as recent as three weeks ago. We had a Representative from Switzerland came to facilitate a referee clinic. Our relationship has been very professional and they remain very helpful.   In regards to this verdict, I guess the future will tell.”

All the players did well, but Kenan Jourdan and Marlon Garnett were considered top team players.

Keenan Jourdan, Belize National Basketball Team

“We played a great game, Marlon played an excellent. To me he was the best player in the tournament.  When we got here nobody thought we’d do anything. When we got here we went out and beat Nicaragua by thirty.  It was a great tournament hopefully we’ll be able to play in Centro Basket next year.”

Marlon Garnett

marlon garnett

“I’m glad just to have played with these guys and I hope this is not the end. I hope all goes well with the appeals process. God will be just in that situation and we can we can start building and preparing for Centro Basket.”

Paul Thompson

“The top four teams will advance to the FIBA America’s tournament and the top three or four teams from the FIBA America’s tournament will advance to the Olympic games.”

Julian Murillo

“Understand that FIBA America means we will be playing against Canada, United States, Kobe Bryant, so we’re one step away from that, just to state, just to put some reference around the level that we’re going to be faced against in Santo Domingo.”

But how will the original team go forward when they are all scattered across the globe with other commitments?

charles ellis

Charles Ellis 2^nd Vice President

“The fortunate thing is that most of the tournament that the guys are playing in are nearing end right now or have already completed. I don’t think the teams they are playing in will have any restrictions on them playing for their national teams.”

Paul Thompson

“In conversation with Kenan, he indicated he would come again and he would play with us again. So in the case of Kenan he would come back.  Marlon, I spoke to him last night and he indicated that the test has just started and he is ready to come.”

Jules Vasquez, Channel Seven

“So both of them have committed.”

Paul Thompson

“Marlon was playing in Iran recently and Kenan is playing in Puerto Rico presently.”

The original team configuration will not re-appear, but the country hopes that it will see the players win and embrace the flag in the D.R. reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

We’ll soon know which countries the team will be playing against at the games, which are scheduled from July sixth to eleventh in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.