The progressional pace of Liberian Basketball continues to gain momentum as the Liberia Basketball Association prepares to host the 2024 African Women Basketball League qualifiers.
The African Women basketball league qualifiers, according to officials of the LBA, is a sanctioned competition by the Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA) for teams in different zones to battle among themselves and have qualified members going to the Women Competition.
Speaking to this paper on Thursday, October 17, 2024, the Secretary General of the LBA, Calvin Diggs, explained that the preparation stage of the international competition is currently ongoing where the Local Organizing Committee is engaging several stakeholders in order to get every need of the event.
From facing years of ban by FIBA, to now granting rights to host international competitions, the nation is expected to deliver beyond all reasonable doubts so that the mother body of basketball would further restore the remaining privileges that are lacking to local basketball in the country.
Diggs intimated that the FIBA calendar for 2024 has set October 29 to November 3, 2024, as the time for the competition to be held, but it is not yet confirmed that the Local Organizing Committee will be able to work successfully in the time due to some challenges.
According to him, the LBA is faced with financial bills of hosting the event and needs to gather the resources before the foreign teams and official can book flight to Liberia.
According to him, a sum of over US$50,000 has been estimated to run the tournament which the LBA has requested that FIBA considers extending the time of the event to a week ahead.
He said the basketball house in Liberia is still on the back of the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, to have basic components of its national sporting facility at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex designated for the activities of the competition.
“The tournament is scheduled for October 29 to November 3, but we might move a week later because we are facing a lot of financial difficulties. We want to be able to show that within Zone three, Liberia is able to host, carry and organize FIBA sanctioned tournaments so we are trying to do everything in our power to make it a success,” he noted.
According to him, the biggest expenses of the LBA is the allotment to foreign and neutral match officials from across Africa.
The main reason for getting all foreign match commissioners and referees is that the past year of ban prevented the country from getting FIBA licensed officials.
Other expenses on the shoulders of the host nation include air tickets, accommodation, domestic transports, feeding and other necessities of the tournament.
The tournament is expected to feature the Liberian Women Basketball Champions, Commissioners and runner-up Invincible Eleven as the host nation’s two representatives.
To complete the lineup of participants, two women’s teams each from Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast and Ghana are expected in country for the upcoming event.
