Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

THE JAMAICA Basketball Association's (JBA) National Basketball League (NBL) is expected to tip off in the next two weeks following an almost one-year absence from courts in the Corporate Area.

A combination of attempting to secure additional sponsorship for the local competition and concerns about competing for interest with the region's Cricket World Cup has seen the tournament now almost three months off its original start date.

"There were concerns that the World Cup tournament would have affected us in terms of the mileage we would be able to get and we did not want to risk that," president of the association, Marland Nattie, told The Gleaner.

More visibility, awareness

"The thrust this year is to create more visibility and awareness for the league and the players," Nattie said. "We have very talented players taking part in the competition and we need to start pushing them, showcasing them in the communities."

With long-time sponsors KFC and telecommunications giants bMobile still on-board for this year's competition, Nattie stated that the association was close to securing a third key sponsor just ahead of the new season.

Last season, the St. George's Slayers stole the show when they snatched their second title in a row by beating rivals Urban Knights in the final.

This season, will see Majesty Gardens and Pure Players from the Eastern Conference in Portland join the 12-team league after finishing first and second in the all-island competition.