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#By RENALDO DORSETT
#Tribune Sports Reporter
#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
#THE Bahamas Basketball Federation’s senior men’s national basketball team programme continues its development despite uncertainty of the FIBA AmeriCup qualification due to COVID-19.
#The BBF has partnered with Spectrum Pain Management and Sports Medicine Clinic to treat team members moving forward.
#Spectrum will offer its services to national team members free of charge.
#“We had been looking to partner with an organisation for about two years and in our discussions, we decided to provide care free of charge for the athletes,” said Dr Sy Pierre, anesthesia and pain medicine specialist. “If one of the players had a torn ACL or meniscus tear that wasn’t serious enough to require surgery, but may need some interventional procedure where we can assist healing and enhance healing over a short period of time, we can help to get them back on the court as soon as possible and that is what interventional pain management and sports medicine is about at this point.”
#Players will also benefit from Spectrum’s services as the national team travels throughout the world to various tournaments.
#“We have a group of board certified specialists and we have agreed to travel with the team so that if the team’s needs specialist care for their injuries abroad, we can provide that. If you’re in a place where English isn’t your first language and you have a player that’s injured it may be very difficult to explain to the physician what is going on so I think this might be a good thing for them,” Pierre said, “It’s a great thing for us, a great thing for the federation, great thing for the Bahamas and we are so happy to be a part of this organisation to help.”
#BBF President, Mario Bowleg said the latest partnership falls in line with the federation’s mandate to increase profile of the national team programme.
#“As we move the fed to the next level we also believe that how we treat our athletes on and off the court is also important for us to have them play at the highest level possible,” he said.
#The MNT is set to continue their 2021 FIBA AmeriCup qualification this fall, however those plans are uncertain amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
#In their last appearance, The Bahamas won 76 – 59 win over Mexico in February at the Atlantis Resort to even the series between the two teams at 1-1. The Bahamas is currently second in Group D at 1-1 with the advantage over Mexico on point differential. The USA leads the Group at 2-0 while Puerto Rico is 0-2. The Bahamas will continue play in Group D on November 27 against the United States in game one of the second window.
#Bowleg said the federation will be notified at the end of the month on the path moving forward for the qualifiers.
#“Our senior men are scheduled to play in November in Washington against the United States and also against Puerto Rico on the road in Puerto Rico. We will get an update on July 31st whether those games will still be played in November or will be pushed back to February. Also scheduled in February are the home games against the United States and Puerto Rico,” Bowleg said, “If the away games are pushed back due to the pandemic, then I guess our home games will be pushed back to June, which is more beneficial for us. We will then have our NBA players home and I think that will be something of great interest to the public, to have Buddy [Hield] and [Deandre] Ayton at home playing against the likes of the US and Puerto Rico.”
#With basketball across the globe in flux, Bowleg said the FIBA schedule will be ratified as the organisation communicates with the various leagues.
#“Everything is wait and see. Most of the guys are home now, working out everyday looking at the possibility of going back to their professional leagues and programmes and understanding that in itself is going to have an effect on us. Those dates for when those seasons will start will be hindered by them not completing their seasons this year,” he said, “Just like we are trying to get our local leagues back, the NBA might have the same problem where they are trying to finish their season, but might have to start later in the next season which will affect the decision by FIBA also. FIBA will communicate with all of the leagues that they govern throughout the world and ensure that those dates come somewhere down the line.”
#At the local level, the BBF has continued its activity through several initiatives despite the restrictions of the pandemic.
#“One of the five pillars the federation had when they came into office is that we wanted to ensure that we continue re-certifying our coaches and our officials. During the pandemic, although we didn’t have physical meetings among the peers, we had several virtual clinics held in the CBC that were conducted by our national instructor, Freddie Brown. Also in the FIBA Americas, where the Bahamas would have had various table officials certified. Physical clinics will hopefully commence in September to ensure that those islands, coaches , officials ndn coaches improve their skills to improve the product of basketball in the country,” Bowleg said, “We are excited to officially implement 3×3 basketball in the country. A committee was made up to represent the implementation of this version of the game in the country. So we are continuing to do the work to develop the game of basketball in the country.”