Renovation of netball courts leaves questions over start date for new season
Recent renovations at Bernard Park has left the Bermuda Netball Association with a dilemma in terms of planning for the new season.
With the season initially scheduled to start in October, the BNA is still waiting for an all-clear from the government on the remedial work
At the beginning of this year, action for the 2022-23 campaign had to be switched to Whitney Institute and CedarBridge Academy after the Department of Youth, Culture and Sport shut down the government-owned courts at Bernard Park as a result of safety concerns raised by the BNA over the asphalt surface.
Kimale Evans, the BNA president, has said they are engaging with relevant authorities in charge of the courts before they decide on the start of the season.
“The courts at Bernard Park have been patched up and everything,’’ Evans said.
“They need to be painted over completely and the lines redone before we’re given access to them.
“Usually our league starts in the middle of October and we have a near three-week break in December, so the league runs for 20 to 24 weeks.
“We’re engaging with the Department of Youth, Culture and Sport and we need to have a conversation to see how that is going as we hope the courts are ready by the time we start.
“We don't have a starting date as yet. We specifically do it for that reason because if adjustments have to be made then it may require us to amend the dates.
“We usually play on Saturdays, but this year we have matches throughout the week so we will base our scheduling on the dates that we get in order to commence training and playing.
“If it means that we have to play matches, specifically the senior matches, in the evening then that has been done before. We have 11 and under, 14 and under, 17 and under and senior league fixtures.”
Phoenix Heat, who remained unbeaten in their ten matches were the senior champions last season, with Storm second and Lindo’s Tigers third.
Storm took the 17 years and under league, with Phoenix Embers winners of the 14 years and under. No champions are declared for the 11 and under age group as it is a developmental competition.
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