Leemisa Thuseho
THE Lesotho Basketball Association (LBA) is failing to resume games for the second round of the 2019/20 National Basketball League (NBL) due to financial challenges.
This after several teams are failing to settle their annual subscription obligations that were due last month.
The league’s second round was meant to start last Friday having gone on break on 3 December 2020.
LBA public relations officer Hopolang Hoala said only six teams out of 10 ladies’ teams and 12 men’s teams have so far paid the M2 500 subscription.
“We couldn’t resume with the league because teams haven’t fully paid their subscriptions but we are hoping to come up with a different solution,” Hoala said.
“Only three teams from the males and females have settled their subscriptions. We have engaged the rest of the teams and they have promised to settle their dues this month.”
Hoala is hopeful that the league will resume anytime this month as the executive committee has prioritised the matter.
“We are elected into the committee to help the sport grow, therefore if we do not come up with solutions, the league will not continue.
“While we are still waiting for the teams to settle their balances, the committee will see other ways to source funds. For example, we can hold fund raising events,” Hoala said.
According to Hoala, the league relies entirely on the members’ subscription as they did not get their annual subvention from the broke Lesotho Sport Recreation and Commission (LSRC).
The first round of the league ended with Lichocha Shooting Rifles ((LSR) leading the male category with 20 points followed by Bokamoso Alumni and Bokamoso Rebels also with 20 points. LSR only have a superior goal difference.
In the ladies’ campaign Bokamoso (BKMS) North are leading unbeaten in all nine first round games.
BKMS collected 18 points and they are only two points ahead of second placed Lerotholi Polytechnic.
