Cadiz league gets underway for GABBA teams

GABBA’s participation in the Cadiz Provincial League competitions, all of them in the B Groups at all levels in this first season, began on Saturday. For the next seven months, our boys and girls will have the opportunity to play numerous matches against opponents of various levels, as seen on the first weekend.

The Junior (u18 boys) travelled to Chipiona and, after an even first-half which ended with the home team 25-21 ahead, were overwhelmed in the second-half as Chipiona doubled the score 32-16 to record a comfortable 57-37 win. Lee Davis and Javi Felice led GABBA with 10 points each.

Then, on Sunday, the Infantil Masculino (u 14 boys) sailed across the Strait to be met by an amazing programme of hospitality, laid on by their opponents, CB La Inmaculada. A coach tour of Ceuta, followed by lunch together with their opponents, preceded the 4:00 pm tip-off. Our boys were too strong and won by 67-32, with Ralph Falero Manktelow hitting a game high 24 points, and Sebastian Picardo with 12 and Kristian Mifsud with 10, also in double figures.

That was the start of this eagerly awaited venture but this was momentarily clouded by a notification from the Delegacion (the organisers), received late on Monday morning. GABBA was aware of the existence of a competition regulation which grants the 37 clubs residing in the province of Cadiz the right to refuse to play their away fixtures in the territories of the clubs from outside the province, namely those from Ceuta and Gibraltar. A deadline for the clubs to indicate their intentions came and went and the notification received showed that 7 of the 37 clubs had opted not to play here.

Immediate action from GABBA followed and, following calls to the Coordinator of the Union Linense de Baloncesto (ULB), Sergio Gil, and Javier Vidal, former player, coach and President of ULB, and now La Linea’s Deputy Mayor and Vice President of the Diputacion de Cadiz, agreement was quickly reached for GABBA to play those matches when the opponents refuse to play here, in La Linea. At the moment, these are 7 of the 23 matches scheduled. GABBA are very grateful for the cooperation and prompt assistance afforded by ULB and La Linea’s Ayuntamiento, who own the Pabellon.

The first of these is this weekend’s curtain raiser, when the Juniors (u18 boys) face Adesa 80, from San Luca de Barrameda in La Linea’s Pabellon Municipal on Saturday (tip-off 12:00).

Later in the day, the Infantil Masculino (u14 boys) travel to Cadiz to play Gades (tip-off 4:00 pm).

On Sunday, GABBA Cadete Masculino (u16 boys) make the short trip to Algeciras where they face UDEA (2011) (tip-off 10:00 am).

And so to the first match on the new TSH court, thanks to the fast work from GSLA to lay down the markings ahead of schedule. Sunday at 12:00, GABBA Cadete Femenino (u16 girls) take on Mergablo Conil. - source GABBA