B’ball bosses may face court action

Press, 3 November 1988, Page 24

B’ball bosses may face court action

PA Wellington The New Zealand Basketball Federation will be taken to court by its member associations if its decision to enlarge the Countrywide league is not rescinded by its executive or overturned by its annual meeting, said a Ponsonby club spokesman yesterday. First and second division teams will combine to slap an injunction on the federation to prevent it carrying out its plan to include Otago in an enlarged first division next season. Ponsonby and Wainuiomata are the vanguard of the legal challenge, aggrieved by the executive’s decision to promote Otago over their heads. However, any legal move against the federation will be unified and at least eight current first division sides have indicated they would be party to court action.

Officials representing Ponsonby and Wainuiomata are likely to meet next week to discuss their personal plans for litigation. A Ponsonby spokesman, Dennis Covey, indicated any action those teams pursued would be supported by associations with Countrywide league teams. “Any action we chose to take as a team would certainly be taken in party with other teams,” said Mr Covey. “It is a question of solidarity rather than us trying to do our thing, with Wainuiomata trying to do their own thing and other teams acting independently. We will act as one force, unified in a way that make people sit up and take notice.” Mr Covey hoped legal action would not be necessary and that the federation's executive would respond to pressure before the annual

meeting to reverse its decision. "1 certainly do not want to get involved in legal action but if it proves to be necessary we will follow that path. “Ponsonby could accept that we are required to play second division basketball next season. We would attempt to win the second division and get back into the Countrywide league in a year,” said Mr Covey. “But the federation will learn that if it wants Otago it must have Ponsonby and Wainuiomata as well, even if that means a 13-team league.” National league teams which met in Hamilton at the week-end resolved to use moderate means to overturn the federation’s decision. • Canterbury supports the non-acceptance of Otago in the first division.