By J. Burgess Carter
Published:  15 December, 2005
 

The NPA-Pythons basketball team, arguably the best playing team in Liberia, has been suspended from the ongoing 2005/06 National League, and fined L$10,000.00 by the Technical Committee of the Liberia Basketball Federation (LBF).

A letter dated December 12, 2005 and addressed to the President of the NPA-Pythons, said the decision was reached by the Technical Committee “on the behavior of your team on December 11, 2005.”

The letter also informed the president of NPA-Pythons that the technical committee's decision was based on the match commissioner's report, which declared that Pythons forfeited to Oilers in their Sunday, December 11, 2005 scheduled league match at the Sports commission on Broad Street.

The LBF vice president for Technical Affairs, Robert E. Cooper, told the DAILY OBSERVER that his committee's decision was taken in line with Article VIII, Section 3 of the constitution of the federation.

The Article states that: “A team which does not report for a match or refuses to continue a game, or leaves the play before the end of a game shall be considered the loser of the game. The team shall also be eliminated from the tournament, fined L$10,000.00 and will not be permitted to participate in any of LBF activities until said amount is fully paid.

It can be recalled that last Sunday, the NPA-Pythons led by its sponsor, Jonathan Mason, unceremoniously left the Sports Commission, while hundreds of basketball lovers were anxiously awaiting their derby against defending Champions, LPRC-Oilers.

According to an authority at the LBF, Mr. Mason had protested against an oldtimer friendly match before the scheduled match, and threatened a walk-off if such a match was not cancelled. “We accordingly cut cancelled the match, but to our utter surprise, we were told that Mr. Mason had ordered his boys not to honor the match. We understand he even carried the team's jersey home to make sure that his order was obeyed,” the authority who prefers anonymity noted.

He said Python players later returned to play the game, but the match commissioner had already submitted his report having allowed an unprecedented grace period.

One executive of LBF even wondered how an executive committee member who helped to write the federation's constitution make the mistake of blatantly violating same, referring to Bruce Quaye, Team Manager of Pythons and member of the seven-man LBF constitution committee.

The authority recalled that last season; NPA-Pythons behaved in similar fashion by abandoning a league match against Invincible Eleven, and were rendered the same ruling. However, he said the leadership of former president Philipbert Browne had a reprieve, and Pythons continued the league.

“We know how much Mr. Mason loves the game of basketball, but we will not allow his passion to bring the game into disrepute. Pythons is may be the biggest crowd-pulling team, and we know financially (gate-in-take) we will miss them, but the constitution must be followed to the letter,” Cooper told the DAILY OBSERVER.

Efforts to contact Mr. Mason proved futile.

Meanwhile, spectators and even rival players of Pythons contacted by this paper regretted the action by the team (Pythons) officials, and lamented that the ejection of one of the main title contenders will now make the league lukewarm.

Their sympathy mostly goes to players of Pythons who will now have to wait a whole season, and have been denied possible international travels.

In a related development, the LBF Secretary General, Fred Pratt, has warned that the world governing body of basketball FIBA, may fine Liberia heavily if the country fails to attend the finals of the 19th ANC Women Basketball Tournament, slated to run from December 21-28, 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The LBF is in need of US$44,000 for the trip and the government is yet to meet with their request submitted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

A high-power delegation comprising of senior officials from the MYS and LBF are expected to call on the Chairman of the National Transitional Government, Charles Gyude Bryant, at the executive Mansion in line with the female national basketball team's trip.