Members of the Jamaica Women's National team, coach Bryon Hurd (first right) and coach O'neil Brown (fourth right) pose with Wayne Dawkins, (second right) and Paulton Gordon (first left) President of the Jamaica Basketball Association on Saturday at the Ribbiz Ultra Lounge
As Jamaica Women’s National Basketball team heads to Cuba to compete in the Caribbean Women's Championship that will take place from July 13-17, their resources have been boosted with a JMD100,000 donation from P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy.
CEO and Founder of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy, Wayne Dawkins said the donation is an indication of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy’s dedication to equity in basketball.
“P.H.A.S.E 1 is committed to equity in basketball and it's our intention to support the growth of basketball on the women's side. This donation is just the beginning of us working to bring more resources in and more support for them,” he said.
The donation was made at a draft party held on Saturday, July 9 in which 60 basketball players were drafted into the P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball Summer League (E1CBL). The first of its kind draft party in Jamaica was held at the Ribbiz Ultra Lounge in Kingston.
Dawkins, who has more than 25 years in basketball development and coaching, shared his intention to build awareness and help develop women’s basketball in Jamaica.
"Globally, women's basketball teams are not as supported as the men's teams, and we are doing what we can to change that. We have a women's semi-professional team in Phoenix Arizona, they are called the Lady Elite 1s, and we are looking to bring our team here to help raise the level of women's basketball in Jamaica and draw more attention to their needs."
Members of the National Women's Basketball team
Meanwhile, coach of the women’s national team, O’neil Brown said this is the largest donation it has received since they started training this year.
“It means a lot, this is the biggest amount we have gotten from a sponsor since we started training for this competition. You guys have done a wonderful job with the male side and we’re looking forward to your continued help with the female side,” he said.
Brown is calling on more corporate sponsors to step in and support the women.
“It has shown in the past and it’s showing now that the female has done better than the male internationally in basketball even though we get little support. We have to ask some of the ladies who can afford it to pay their way to Jamaica and then we’ll fly them back. We need the support,” he said.
The Caribbean Women's Championship grants three spots in the Women's Centrobasket Championship 2022, scheduled for the month of November.