New basketball head focused on completing leagues

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The completion of its ongoing leagues is the main focus of the Antigua and Barbuda Basketball Association (ABBA) following the resignation of president, Daryll Matthew.
This is according to the acting head and referee, Carlton Broodie, who said that with the leagues completed, the sitting executive would be better able to plot the way forward.
“Our thing really, is just to get this league over with and whatever else is there to be completed for the rest of the year, and then, perhaps, after business league in September or October, then we can sit down and start to think about whether, as a body or as a group, that we want to continue as this,” he said.
Matthew tendered his resignation on Sunday, just two days after he was sworn in as the country’s new minister of sports. His appointment came following his victory at the polls in the 21st March general elections.
The administrator had previously said he felt uncomfortable holding both roles owing to a potential conflict of interest.
Broodie, then vice president, was elevated to the top spot. Matthew, he said, has left the association on firm footing.
“Obviously, it was a shock that he decided to go into politics. We were hoping he would have gotten another ministry or even a backbench so he could have stayed with us, but so be it, he is now the minister of sports and he has to move onto higher heights,” he said.
“We now have to carry on the mantle that he has left for us, he has left a solid infrastructure and we just have to continue it and do the best for the sport of basketball,” Broodie added. 
As for whether he will continue to ply his trade as a referee in the leagues, Broodie said a decision will be made following consultations with other members of the executive.
“To be quite honest, refereeing in my first love really. I have to rethink the whole purpose of that and see whether or not it makes sense to continue. But I think the rest of the executive members and I just have a few realignments to do in order to make this work, and if necessary, we may have to co-opt one or two other persons to take us to the end,” he said.
“I really don’t see much of a difference continuing with the refereeing. We are very short on that aspect of it and if it means that I might have to continue or, at some particular point, look at it and see whether or not I need to continue then, I would make that decision,” the acting head said.
Matthew received a total of 1502 votes as the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) candidate for the St. John’s Rural South constituency. He beat the United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate, Kyron Samuel who garnered 775 votes. Erica Edwards of the DNA picked up 38 votes while Vere Bird III of True Labour Party (TLP) received 51 votes.

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