Soufriere Reign As Basketball Kings

by Terry Finisterre In the KFC National Basketball League regular season, 2023 finalists Morne Gladiators got the better of Soufriere Kings. Come the semifinals, the Gladiators defeated defending champions Bonne Terre Blazers, whilst the men from the west coast made their way to the one-off championship game by virtue of beating Courts Jets. The tournament had been plagued by delays. Back in mid-April, the opening ceremony at the Beausejour Indoor Facility had to be postponed due to an electrical outage. The venue was then used as a practice facility for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and was therefore unavailable for basketball. The Vigie Multipurpose Sports Complex (VMPS), renovated between 2022 and 2023, remains uncovered, and so the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation was at the mercy of the elements. Games were repeatedly postponed due to rain. The only other available venue was the Soufriere court. In the event, on Thursday evening at the VMPS, Soufriere revenged themselves on the Gladiators, and did what it took to lift the inaugural Ricky “Skecky” Estwick Trophy, named in honour of the late national team captain. A game that started out close, with Soufriere up by just five points, saw the eventual champions pulling...