Shelmadine, who is the Program Officer at WIN-BELIZE, through her correspondence to us, noted that the tournament would be geared at empowering and highlighting the struggles of women in Belize. Other attractions at the game will be the distribution of pamphlets, focusing on women who have achieved excellence in the community, along with various other educational presentations. In addition, there will be half-time entertainment featuring our local artists. Last year, Cacho?s team – Maria Chang Eagles, edged Sparks, 62-59, in Game Seven of a hotly contested 7-game series. For the series, Shelmadine averaged a double-double, hitting for 15.3 ppg and snatching 10.5 rpg. The series was one of the best played in female basketball in recent years, and it is expected that this year will be just as good. According to Cacho, she is hoping to have the participation of at least six teams from throughout the country, which would make the tournament much more competitive, and appealing to a wider audience. While we at ?Hoops Desk? commend Cacho?s effort and wish her well in her endeavor, we believe that it is vitally important in terms of continuity and sustainability of female basketball, that there be some sort of balance in the selection of team members so as to guarantee that the games are not viewed as one-sided, and that the playing field is perceived as level as possible. In the past, there have been mainly two female teams that have dominated this league, one being Enid Dakers? Sparks and the other Shelmadine?s Maria Chang Eagles. It is this desk?s opinion that it is time that the top players from these two teams, say Tracey Garnett, Enid Dakers, Shelmadine Cacho and Sylvia Clarke, who are arguably the ?Big Four? in female basketball, split up and form their own individual teams. This way the game would be more competitive, would attract fans, and female basketball would once again rise to take its rightful place and bring back memories of the great teams of the 80?s.
