By Dean Greenaway (Special To The Virgin Islands Daily News)

TORTOLA-The Caribbean Basketball Confederation announced Monday that the British Virgin Islands will host the men’s and women’s CBC Championships from June 8-21.

This will mark the third time that the BVI has hosted the CBC Championships since 2009, the last time being last year. The games will be played at the Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town.

‘It is with great pride and humility that as president of the BVI Basketball Federation, I stand before you today to confirm that this championships will be a historic one for the BVI, as we showcase our very first women’s national team,” Guy Malone said during a press briefing at the Multipurpose Sports Complex. “Brian Brewley was unanimously elected by the federation and is tasked with the duties of the head coach and is already hard at work with our young ladies, getting them ready to showcase the team. I am confident and can assure you, although they are a new team – don’t take your eyes off them.”

The BVI will be fielding a women’s team in the competition although the BVI Basketball Federation has never held a women’s league in its 41-year history.

CBC President Glyne Clarke said the tournament should be exciting with eight women’s and 10 men’s team competing over 14 days of intense basketball.

“I’m positive these championships will excite and bring some delight to whet the basketball hungry appetite of fans, not only in the BVI, but in your nearby islands,” Clarke said. “Teams from 11 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and the U.S. Virgin Islands, will return to Tortola seeking our new trophies.”

Jamaica is the defending women’s champ; the Bahamas is the men’s champ.

Clarke said the Cayman Islands and Suriname will be among those in the Sr. Men’s division.

Three teams from the CBC Championships will qualify for the 2016 Centrobasket Tournament and the 2017 America’s Cup.

“I’m sure basketball enthusiasts in the coming months will hear about the new FIBA Governor’s Model – that model of one FIBA – and a new games format that will culminate in the 2019 World Cup,” Clarke said. “These CBC Championships held here in the BVI, will be the last of this current format. The men’s championships will have a new format starting in 2017.”

The women’s tournament will run from June 8-12 and the men’s from June 15-21.

The women’s group comprises Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and British Virgin Islands.

The men’s group comprises Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bermuda, Guyana and Suriname.

For more on this story go to: http://virginislandsdailynews.com/sports/bvi-to-again-host-cbc-hoops-event-cahjopsionships-1.1867412