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B.League scraps All-Star event

Sports | Basketball

B.League scraps All-Star event

By Jonas Terrado

Photo from B.League

Japan’s B.League will no longer stage its All-Star event next week in Okinawa due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country, the league announced Thursday, Jan. 6.

The All-Star Game and an exhibition match that will see all nine Filipinos from both the first and second divisions slated Jan. 14 and 15 were all scrapped as some teams were hit with infections plus the COVID-19 situation in the Okinawa prefecture.

“We have been preparing for the event with the help of many people, including Okinawa Prefecture and Okinawa City. We would like to express our gratitude to Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture Basketball Association, partner companies, media, and all concerned for their cooperation,” said B.League president Shinji Shimada.

“And I think that many fans are disappointed that it has been canceled for the second consecutive year. I am very sorry,” he added.

Brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Ray Parks Jr., Kobe Paras, Dwight Ramos, Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano and Kemark Carino were supposed to play for the Asian All-Stars against the Rising Stars team which included Matthew Aquino.

The Ravenas, Paras and Juan Gomez de Liano were also slated to take part in skills competitions as part of the cancelled event.

It was the second straight year that the Japanese cage league decided to call off the midseason spectacle due to the pandemic.

The 2021 event was called off which would have featured Thirdy Ravena, who initially opted out of the contest due to an injury.

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Japan B.League

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