President's Cup Adopts New Single Game Knockout Format for First Round, Retains Traditional Two-Game Format for Semi-Finals and Finals

There will be a key change in the format for this year’s President’s Cup.

In a media announcement Friday, the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA) said in an effort to enhance the competition and showcase the best of local basketball, the tournament will now feature a single game knockout format for the first round, before reverting to the traditional two-game format for both the semi-finals and finals.

Previously, the President’s Cup was played using a double elimination format for the preliminary rounds.

The eight teams competing under the new format during the first round is now expected to set the stage for a more thrilling and competitive atmosphere.

The semi-finals and finals will use the aforementioned two-game format, where the team with the largest aggregate score will determine the finalists and ultimately the champion.

BABA president, Francis Williams, explained that an assessment of teams in the Co-operators General Insurancesponsored Premier League – which commenced in early February – had been undertaken and the pending changes had been deemed necessary.

“Having assessed the teams in the Premier League, the Executive felt a change was needed to ensure that the best possible product was on show during the tournament,” Williams said.

“There is a significant gap between the top teams and those at the bottom, making the old format less attractive.”

The president was making reference to the contrasting skill levels between some of the higher-ranked teams such as the defending champions, Burger King Clapham Bulls and 246 Mobile Shop City United Celtics who have 5-0 unbeaten records, and Fusionz Boutique Station Hill Cavaliers, with one loss on a 4-1 record.

Island Care Ambulance Service & BodyxB Lakers are currently fourth in the standings.

Each team still has at least two more games to play, so the rankings can shift significantly by next week.

Teams will be seeded based on their standings at the end of the first round of the ongoing Premier League on Sunday, setting the stage for the launch of the

President’s Cup next Tuesday at the Wildey Gymnasium.

Pinelands are the reigning President’s Cup champions, having defeated Clapham Bulls in last year’s final, to successfully defend their title.

Sunday will see a full slate of games at the Barbados Community College which will cap off the first round of the league. Warrens All Stars will take on NSC Combined School Tridents at 2 pm while Pinelands do battle with Cavaliers at 3:45 pm in the second game.