Ray Lizama, who was part of the CNMI squad that won silver medals in the 1994 Micronesian Games said he wants to bring NMI’s basketball community into another level by organizing the Masters Basketball Federation of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Unlike the Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands that handles the two on-going leagues at Gilbert C. Ada Gym, the Masters’ basketball is not sanctioned by FIBA.
Lizama however noted that the Masters’ hoops events, like the one currently being held in Sydney, Australia are among the biggest in the basketball world. Unfortunately, there is currently no group in the CNMI that brings up teams who will focus on international Masters’ basketball events.
Guam has a team now playing in the ongoing World Masters Olympic.
Lizama believes that if the other Pacific Islands like Guam can bring out basketball Masters, the NMI can do it as well.
“We want to join the event but NMI has no group to form the Masters team,” Lizama said.
Organizing basketball events for players 35 and up has not been taken seriously these days because most participants do primarily for recreation.
Now that the prestige of the World Masters Olympic in permeating the grass roots of the world’s basketball community, it’s time for the NMI to take Masters’ basketball more seriously.
A former commissioner BANMI, and was the group’s president from 1996 to 1997, Lizama also believes there are players 35 years old and under, who has not lost their grip of the ball. These players, he said still have the potential to bring honor to the CNMI in the off-island events.
Forming the Masters caging group will also encourage elite or veteran players continue living a healthy life.
