Mauritius to experience new league system

PHOENIX, Mauritius – Mauritius is set to start their next season with a new league system, leaving behind what was in place for the last 20 years or so. This is, according to Hedley Han, who heads the Mauritius Basketball Federation (MBBF), set to raise the current level of competition among the nine teams forming the Super League, the country’s elite championship.

Due to start on December 5th, this new era for basketball in Mauritius is supposed to set the pace for the coming Indian Ocean Island Games, which the country will host.

“As the hosting country, we know that people will look up to us. We need to have the most competitive side”, says Han.

This year league will see the teams match first in a two-round battle, then the top six will clash again, with the final four heading towards the playoffs. The finals, which were formerly played based on two games, will now be decided in a three-tier game.

“We think this is the best system we could put in place. Mauritius has suffered from lack of competition”, notes Han.

Reference is made to the FIBA Africa Zone 7 Championship. Recently, reigning local champions, Real BC, went to Madagascar and came back to Mauritius with a very bad taste in their mouths as the lost all their games.

The Mauritian side was one of the finalists of the 2013 edition, losing to Madagascar’s ASCUT in the last game. “We have seen them go from the small team to the tournament’s favorite.

But they weren’t level for ASCUT, even though they beat them in the first round”, remembers president Han.

These changes will also concern the first division, where seven teams will compete to reach the Super League.

Furthermore, the Mauritius Basketball Federation will try to give a new boost to the audience by hosting games on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

“It all depends on the availability of the gymnasium. We share it with a couple other sports federations and need to make sure our calendars don’t clash.”

FIBA