New format for Kinnie National League
Maltese participation in Italian competitions not ruled out
With the number of teams in the Kinnie League reduced to just five, the Malta Basketball Association (MBA) has decided to review the format of the men's top division league.
Details of the changes in the men's championship, which starts this weekend, were revealed by MBA president, Magistrate Antonio Mizzi, during a news conference at the Farsons Brewery yesterday. The event also marked the extension of the MBA's sponsorship agreement with Farsons brand Kinnie.
The MBA head said that the change in the format was needed after two top-flight clubs, Loyola and Footwork, joined forces to form a new club, Stingers. This came about last summer.
"With only five teams making up the championship, the Kinnie League, as from this season, will be played on three rounds with the four top sides qualifying for the championship play-offs," Mizzi explained.
"The other team in the Kinnie League will have to play against the top three sides in Division One in the promotion pool. The first two teams in the promotion pool will earn the right to play in the top flight the following campaign. Thus, as from next season, the top flight will again comprise six teams."
The MBA president said that the association's chief goal is to increase to eight the number of teams in the men's top league. This depends on how many clubs are participating in the MBA competitions and the standards shown in the different championships.
"Basketball in Malta has come a long way in recent years and as the MBA Shield has shown, all the teams participating in the Kinnie League have reached a high level of play. Judging by the results in the MBA Shield, this year's championship is set to be very balanced and every game could go either way," Mizzi said.
"This will certainly help the game to maintain its improvement. The interest in the game has risen considerably as reflected by the 20 per cent increase in the attendances for this year's MBA Shield. However, we must continue to work hard to attract more youngsters to the sport. That is the only way to improve basketball in Malta," Mizzi said.
A couple of years ago an MBA selection - Maltese Falcons - had participated in the Italian league championship. Asked if participation in the Italian league was on the MBA's agenda, Mizzi replied: "Everything is possible. Last Tuesday, we had a meeting with the Italian Federation officials who have once more offered us a place in their championship.
"However, negotiations are still at a very early stage and there are still many other things to be discussed before a final decision is taken."
The MBA president also said that the association is also committed to increasing its facilities on the island and discussions over the construction of a new basketball pavilion at Ta' Qali have already started.
Kinnie renews MBA sponsorship
Mizzi also expressed his appreciation towards Kinnie who have agreed to sponsor the MBA for the seventh consecutive year. The deal mainly covers the mini-basketball tournament and the men's national league.
Pierre Stafrace, marketing manager at Farsons, said: "The Kinnie brand has now established a long-term relationship with basketball in Malta and our financial support has made a significant contribution to this sport. We re-affirm our commitment to the MBA and to mini-basket, which serves as an opportunity to identify new talent among youths."