Another sport has been given the go-ahead to resume training and competition after the Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA) got the nod from the Jamaican Government last week, the Jamaica Observer has learnt.

Paulton Gordon, president of JABA, confirmed yesterday that they were given the ‘green light’ last Thursday and plans are already in place for the staging of the Star Search Camp and preparation of the Under-17 team that is to participate in the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) event later this year.

“We are elated that we have finally gotten permission to start some basketball activities,” Gordon said yesterday. “The protocol guidelines are stringent so we are scrutinising and making some plans for the summer.”

After the restrictions on gathering caused by the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic had seen sporting events put on hold since last year March, many sporting events have been allowed to restart including track and field, golf, swimming, cricket, and football is scheduled to get under way next week with the belated start of the Premier League.

Gordon said fans will not be allowed at any of the events in keeping with the protocols and that the board had met over the weekend and has drawn up plans for the start of basketball activities.

Despite the ban on play here, JaBA was able to send a men’s senior team to participate in the first qualifying round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 CONCENCABA Pre Qualifiers in San Salvador, El Salvador in mid-April.

The Jamaican team that had just three local-based players finished fourth in the round-robin tournament on six points after winning their first two games, beating Costa Rica 69-67 and Guyana 107-87, but then lost to Nicaragua 54-92 and the hosts.

Gordon said they were looking to start in another six weeks, late July, with the all-star Star Search Camp, which puts local high school players on show for US college scouts and also the training camp for the Under-17 team.

As they had said earlier, JaBA plans to restart competitive basketball with a series of three-on-three competitions.

A venue for the Under-17 competition is still to be confirmed, it was also learnt.

“Nicaragua indicated they will host and the suggested time line is looking like late July/early August,” Gordon said.