Dybvig ban lifted, hearing delayed

Press, 13 July 1985, Page 80

Dybvig ban lifted, hearing delayed

By

FRANK DUGGAN

The New Zealand Basketball Federation’s is on- running battle with the controversial American coach, John Dybvig, was carried a stage further yesterday when the federation lifted a season ban on the coach of the Leopard • Criterion Napier team in the Countrywide men’s league. Earlier last month Mr Dybvig was suspended for the remainder of the season after an incident before the proposed Napier Converse Canterbury match at Cowles Stadium.

Mr Dybvig was to have appeared on Monday afternoon in Christchurch before a sub-committee of the federation to also face charges of alleged obscene language

in Napier’s games against Ponsonby and Centrals (Wellington). However, in a surprise move yesterday the federation lifted the coaching ban on Mr Dybvig and. also delayed a hearing on the other alleged offences until July 24. A federation official commenting on the delay of the federation hearing said: “Legally his solicitor needs more time.” Last evening both Mr Dybvig and his close friend, Mr Tom Hyde, who is the editor of the “New Zealand Basketball Times,” were not available for comment. The same applied to leading federation officials. However, Mr Jim Manning, who had coached

Napier after Mr Dybvig’s suspension, was quite outspoken about the federation’s decision. Speaking from his Napier hotel, Mr Manning said that the federation must have realised that it was outside the law. “There has been a vendetta against the man and the executive has certainly showed no integrity over the matter,” said Mr Manning. “It’s about time the whole situation concerning Mr Dybvig made some sense,” he said. Mr Dybvig will immediately be reinstated as fulltime coach of the Napier team and in the interim other moves will be made to have the hearing on July 24 quashed.