KARRATHA CYCLONE BASKETBALL COACH SUSPENDED FOR TWO YEARS

TANGIORA HINAKI

THE Karratha Basketball Association has suspended a Karratha coach for two years and de-registered one of his players for not adhering to restrictions on the number of players allowed on a team.

 Steve Seminuik, coach for the Karratha Cyclone Under 18s boys basketball team, allowed a 16-year-old Karratha youth to play in the Country Championships in February 2022.

 The Association stated before the Country Championships that the youth could only play as a backup if a player was injured, adding it did not want other teams complaining that Mr Seminuik's team had nine players.

Mr Seminuik, who appealed the decision, attended a meeting but was told that the KBA would stand by its decision. He then approached the Competition Administrator from Basketball WA who said that they had no issue with the Karratha youth playing at the Country Champs division 2 basketball competition.

In a disciplinary letter addressed to Mr Seminuik, the KBA said that one of the reasons they suspended Mr Seminuik was because of disregard and defiance of the procedures outlined in the KBA Representative Parent Information Booklet 2021/22, including a selection of a team with  9 players and failure to disclose fundraising received from Harvey Norman.

 At the Country champs competition this year in February,  Mr Semenuik had nine players and the Karratha youth involved played all day Saturday with his teammates. That night, the KBA de-registered the youth and later suspended Mr Seminuik,  a volunteer.

 Mr Seminuik told Ngaarda Media the competition is supposed to be fun and an opportunity for mates to play with mates.  He says he is disappointed the KBA took such a hard line.

“This could have been a simple solution, we could have sat down and discussed it but now we have had to fork out for legal fees,” he said.

“I’m 43 years old, I’ve played many men's grand finals. It’s about a 16-year-old youth who was deregistered and punished because I fought for him to play.”

The Association said in a statement after Ngaarda Media contacted the KBA on Friday the matter is currently the subject of mediation and it would be inappropriate to comment.

 Mr Seminuik said he has requested mediation from the start but the KBA refused until the Friday before the grand final.