by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Dec. 4, 2023

It was announced today, Monday, December 4, by the Belize Elite Basketball League (BEBL) that Chris McGann, who served as its Commissioner for the 2023 BEBL season, will be replaced by Glen Gill, who previously served as Deputy Commissioner last season.

Gill, who is no stranger to the sport of basketball, has gained his reputation throughout the country as a former FIBA International Basketball Referee and Certified FIBA Referee Instructor, and has been critical in the development of Belize basketball.

“Indeed, I am no novice to basketball in Belize. I have been around for a while, and I think with the experience that I have, both as an official and as Deputy Commissioner last year, I can see the direction that we can take; and hopefully, with the assistance of the owners, we would go down that path and that the league grows,” Gill said.

Gill said that former Commissioner McGann was unable to commit to the task, as he had conflicts with scheduling due to a previous commitment.

“He had asked that me, being the Deputy Commissioner, then take the reign, and then we would swap positions. He made a presentation to the owners and they agreed … He will mainly be the advisor to the Finance Committee,” Gill said.

While speaking with Amandala, he mentioned that one of his plans for further developing the league is to have it be self-funded within 5 to 10 years.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Technical Education (Construction Technology) from the University of Technology, Jamaica, and a Diploma in Technical Education in Building Construction from the College of Arts, Science and Technology, Jamaica. Currently, Gill is pursuing a Master’s degree in Workforce Education and Development at the University of Technology.

Internal conflicts within the league between the other teams and the Belize Hurricanes was displayed in the public eye on and off the court and caught the attention of the local media. Former commissioner McGann had issued sanctions against the Hurricanes for the 2024 season

“Everything that was done last year will be forwarded to this year; there is no break on what we are doing. So, if we managed to sanction any team, that will stand,” Gill stated. “In our first meeting for the upcoming season, the owners – being the owner of the league now – have decided that they are going to lift the sanctions on the Hurricanes, where they would have only gotten one foreign player; they have lifted that sanction. But the other two sanctions were upheld,” Gill further said.

The 2024 BEBL season is tentatively set to begin on January 26, 2024.