Red-hot Flames ready to burn in NBL

Western Bureau:Reigning Western Basketball Association (WBA) champions Lucea Flames have launched an ambitious recruitment drive aimed at strengthening their team ahead of their debut season in the 2012 National Basketball League (NBL), the nation's premier basketball tournament.

"Our recruitment drive is going quite well and we are confident that we will enter the NBL with a very strong team," said Flames' top player Craig Dorman, who emerged MVP and top scorer in the 2011 WBA Division One season. "We are looking at putting together two teams, one to play in the Division One and the other in the NBL team."

Among the players Flames have managed to recruit are the likes of the talented Kirk Blake, formerly of Hopewell Vipers; and Toussaint Williams of Hoopers. The club is also in dialogue with several top-flight players, who have expressed an interest in joining the team.

"We just need to have the new players get accustomed to our system and we should be okay," said Dorman. "Presently, spirits are high in the camp and we are quite optimistic that we will do very well."

In a bid to create a professional atmosphere around the team and strengthen its management structure, Dorman said efforts are now being made to formalise the executive of the club, which he hopes will make them more marketable and strengthen their capacity to attract sponsorship.

stronger

"We have a lot of ideas that we want to implement to make the club stronger, more viable and more attractive to potential sponsors," said Dorman. "We are hoping to recruit influential members of the Lucea community to partner with us in the building of a strong organisation."

Prior to the start of the 2012 NBL season, Flames will be staging an awards dinner which will double as an appreciation ceremony for their victorious Division One team, as well as a fund-raiser to generate much-needed income.

When the NBL (west) starts in late February, it will feature six teams in Flames, Sav Hawks, Lane Tigers, Catherine Hall All Stars, Granville Jaguars, and Hoopers.

"The NBL west was designed for just five teams but we ended up with six this year because Sav Hawks, which qualified last year, did not participate because of administrative errors," said Deon Williams, a vice-president of the WBA. "At the end of this season, the two bottom teams will be demoted and the Division One champions promoted, so we will be back down to five teams next year."

According to Williams, preparatory work for the NBL is now on in earnest as regular meetings are now taking place with the National Basketball League leadership in Kingston.

"We are basically ready and just waiting on time," said Williams. "We are planning to have a short preseason tournament to help the teams sharpen up ahead of the tournament."

- A.F.