20 Jun 2019

The 2019 Botswana Basketball League (BBL) season is set to hit the courts recently with some mouthwatering fixtures on cards.

Following a number of delays to resume the league among others, teams’ reluctance to submit their compliance requirements and affiliations payments to the BBL, the upcoming season is poised for greatness as upcoming teams will be aiming to dethrone perennial championship favourites, Phins Dolphins.

Rivalry will be revealed this coming weekend at Ba Isago University courts at 2pm as last years’ ladies title contenders, Police V face off with BDF V in what is a replay of last year’s championship finals.

This where the Police V won the series 2-0 to be crowed the ladies champions after defeating BDF 65-36 and 68-40 on both game one and two respectively.

A clash of titans is also anticipated in the opening men’s game as current champions Dolphins are to resume their title defending quest in a tricky encounter against a resolute BDF V men side at 4pm.

The two teams are no strangers to each other as they met in last year’s playoff finals, with the youthful Dolphins edging the more experienced BDF V with a 73-67 score line.

In other league opening fixtures, league debutants Diamond Bullets will take on fellow rookies Motown Eagles in Jwaneng while Selebi Phikwe Knights plays BIUST Trojans in Selebi Phikwe in a double-header fixture that will later on see Troopers pitted against Francistown Flames.

On Sunday, Ba Isago courts will play host to Dolphins ladies against UB Relics while Spartans faces Police V at 2pm and 4pm respectively.

BBL chairperson, Peter Ubakar expressed delight towards prospects of league resumption and remained hopeful that this season campaign would be more attractive to both spectators and potential sponsors alike.

“This season has all the ingredients of success, particularly that the league has secured better equipped playing courts like Ba Isago, which will enable player competitiveness due to its quality playing surface, and will hopefully attract sponsors since the league has for years been cash trapped due to lack of sponsorship,” he said.

Apart from ushering in new teams in the league, Ubakar indicated that this season’s campaign would for the first time be subdivided in to League A and League B where last year’s top six finishers would be fixtured among themselves while the bottom six would also contest amongst themselves for a promotional position to League A.

He reiterated that all teams had expressed their willingness to honour all fixtures despite the financial constrains that the association was faced with. ENDS