SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - On Wednesday June 21, 2023, an extraordinary meeting was held to elect the new board of the St. Maarten Basketball Federation (SXMBF). The associate members of the SXMBF, the Soualiga Youth Basketball Association (SYBA) and the St. Maarten National Basketball Association (SXMNBA), presented their respective candidates.
[Coach] Mr. Omar Beauperthuy and Mr. James Busby ran for the presidency, Mr. Cheandro Bute ran unopposed for treasurer, and Mr. Jose Helligar and Mr. Marvio Cooks ran for secretary. The results placed Mr. Beauperthuy as President, Mr. Cheandro Bute as Treasurer, and Mr. Marvio Cooks as Secretary of the newly elected St. Maarten Basketball Federation board.
“I plan to use my experience as a professional with a Bachelor of Business Administration & Operations and a Master’s in Sports Management to develop and protect athletes in basketball in St. Maarten. The goal is to work with everyone involved to develop basketball in St. Maarten.”, said Mr. Beauperthuy.
The St. Maarten Basketball Federation (SXMBF), established in 2014, is the official body that promotes, manages, and facilitates the development of basketball in St. Maarten. The SXMBF, then led by the late Mr. Alberto Bute, became inactive approximately eight (8) years ago leading to detriment of the development of basketball at all levels on St. Maarten.
The return of the Soualiga Youth Basketball Association (SYBA), led by Mr. Marvio Cooks, revived efforts to re-establish the SXMBF with the election of a new board. Unfortunately, the then president of the SXMBF passed away before this could occur. The SYBA board took the initiative to complete the work that was started by spearheading the process to elect a new board.
“The state of basketball in St. Maarten was disorganized when I became president of SYBA. I was happy to meet with the then president of the SXMBF, the St. Maarten Olympic Sport Federation (SMOSF), the National Sport Institute (NSI), and the other basketball associations to bring this process to completion. Basketball is our national sport. Having it properly structured, funded, and managed is beneficial to the student athletes and our country.”, said Mr. Cooks.
The newly elected board will present a strategic development plan to the current associate members and the public in three (3) months. The reactivation of the SXMBF means that the country has an official body that can establish relationships with international partners to expand opportunities for student athletes. It is also tasked with ensuring that the sport is played according to the Fédération Internationale de Basketball [Amateur] (FIBA) standards. The SXMBF looks forward to working with all sectors of the community to safeguard the development and success of our basketball athletes’ ability to compete locally and internationally.
More information about the St. Maarten Basketball Federation will be available soon and can be contacted at infosxmbf@gmail.com
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