FIBA, Bvioc Move To Rebuild Bvibf
FIBA and the BVI Olympic Committee have stepped in to restore governance to the British Virgin Islands Basketball Federation (BVIBF), announcing plans to organise a fair electoral assembly after the federation’s executive term expired and no elections were held. Eligible voting members are listed and the public has until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 14 November to submit documentation to legal@fiba.basketball if they believe they should be included.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC) have launched a plan to restore formal governance to the British Virgin Islands Basketball Federation (BVIBF) after years of disruption that have stalled organised basketball in the territory. FIBA and the BVIOC said in a joint statement that the BVIBF executive’s term has expired and no new elections have been held, contrary to the federation’s constitution and FIBA governance standards.
A working group made up of FIBA and BVIOC officials will organise an electoral assembly to conduct transparent elections in line with FIBA statutes and the BVIOC regulatory framework. The statement lists the currently recognised BVI voting members as Districts 1 through 9, VG Summer Jam League, Filipinos Association VG, Filipinos Association Tortola and K&J Basketball Club.
Anyone who believes they or their organisation should be eligible to vote but is not listed has until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 14 November to email documentation to legal@fiba.basketball. FIBA and the BVIOC will review submissions and then announce the date, time and place of the BVIBF Electoral Assembly.
The intervention follows a prolonged governance vacuum. The federation was quietly dissolved in 2021 and there has been no organised league activity in the BVI since 2022. In January 2024 players and local stakeholders petitioned the Caribbean Basketball Confederation and FIBA for help.
Earlier this year, some local organisers created the BVI Amateur Basketball Association to try to keep leagues and development activities alive. Local community leaders welcomed the move. Jason Edwin said clearing up constitutional misconceptions was necessary to create a clear pathway for elections and to reverse a three-year setback to basketball development on the islands.
A’s player Joash Victor described FIBA’s involvement and the BVIOC partnership as a turning point for governance and for getting leagues restarted — a change many say is long overdue. The joint statement also noted an ironic detail: former BVIBF president Derrick Varlack was allowed to vote in last year’s BVIOC elections despite the federation’s expired term.
For many players and organisers on Tortola and the smaller islands, the priority now is a credible election followed by a stable federation that can support local leagues, youth programmes and rebuild BVI basketball’s community and competitive calendar. Next steps: interested organisations must submit evidence of voting eligibility to legal@fiba.basketball by 5:00 p.m., Friday 14 November; FIBA and the BVIOC will finalise the voter list and announce the electoral assembly schedule thereafter.
Primary source: Island Sun