Professional basketball is bouncing back in Belize and it’s doing so with a fresh look, new leadership, and a brand-new name. The Belize Premier Basketball League, or BPBL, is set to tip off its inaugural season this Friday night at the Belize City Civic Center. The opening matchup will see the EZ Investment Dangriga Dream Ballers take on the Belize City Thunderbolts in what promises to be a high-energy showdown. But this isn’t just a new season, it’s a new era. At a press conference held this afternoon in Belize City, league organizers laid out their vision for the BPBL. Chief Financial Officer, Doctor Paul Flowers, highlighted one of the league’s most significant changes: a more sustainable and professional approach to team management and player development. Doctor Flowers emphasized that the BPBL is not just a rebrand of the former Belize Elite Basketball League, it’s a step up. With improved financial oversight, better support for athletes, and a commitment to growing the sport nationwide, the BPBL aims to elevate basketball in Belize to new heights.
Dr. Paul Flowers, Chief Financial Officer, B.P.B.L
“The first step we did was to change the charter. It use to be an unlimited number of Belizean Americans and you get two foreigners. You could have thirteen Belizean American and one European and one American and it is entertaining. You see high flying stuff, but the local communities couldn’t recognize themselves in that. So, we made this seismic shift to say the rules have changed. Now, to fill your roster, here are your handcuffs, you are allowed ten Belizean born players. Of those ten Belizean players one must be U-21. Now you set that aside, you now have two more, a foreign born anywhere in the world, with no affiliation. The other can be a naturalized Belizean. So, now what that did it nullified the big money. Because regardless of how much money you had you can only buy two foreigners and everyone can afford two foreigners, we knew that. It is when you go beyond two foreigners that they fell apart.”