From the court to the platform

Segment B of From the Court to the Platform presented Roosevelt Douglas, Ronald Green, John Collin McIntyre and Artherton Martin. The article continues below:-

Kelver Darroux, a native of St. Joseph and former President of Dominica's National Youth Council, he has been into party politics for a few years now.

Kelver became a Member of Parliament in 2009 after he successfully contested the St. Joseph Constituency seat as the Dominica Labour Party candidate. Thereafter he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Information Technology.

In 2014 Kelver was re-elected Parliamentary Representative for the St. Joseph Constituency, but this time he was appointed – and is currently serving - as Minister for Information, Science, Telecommunications & Technology.

Kelver, who is currently Dominica's youngest parliamentarian, had served as Deputy Chairman of the St. Joseph Village Council for one term before entering party politics.

Spreading his energies onto the court, Kelver has been playing competitive basketball from his secondary school days. He first played with Isaiah Thomas Secondary School (ITSS), followed by Clifton Dupingy Community College (CDCC) in the Sports Division "Schools League".

After graduating from college Kelver, who plays in the Point Guard and Forward positions, entered the national league wearing a Rovers uniform. Some time thereafter that St. Joseph-based Intermediate Division team effected a name-change and is now called Hurricanes. Kelver is a regular, high- or top-scorer on that team, which he also sponsors.

Kelver also assisted in organising the St. Joseph Basketball League and officiated in editions of that league as well as the West Coast Basketball League some time ago. In 2018 he sponsored the first edition of the Kelver Darroux Basketball League which was staged in St. Joseph and drew 12 teams from around Dominica.

It is important to note that Kelver has been able to simultaneously apportion his time, talents and energies between serving as a Parliamentary Representative for a fairly large constituency, serving as a Minister of Government, and being a very productive basketball player on Kelver Darroux Hurricanes.

Nicholls "Shanks" Esprit debuted in Dominica's Parliament as a United Workers Party Senator. At the time he had been a top official in his party.

Subsequently, with a turn of events "Shanks" contested the Salisbury Constituency seat as the Dominica Labour Party Candidate in the 2014 General Elections. He was unsuccessful at the polls but is currently serving as the DLP "Care-taker" for that constituency.

Although "Shanks" did not play basketball, he sponsored the team from his village which participated in the 2nd level division of the national league. They played as Shanks Juggernauts, and last competed in 2015.

Adenauer Douglas, a member of the Dominica Labour Party for several years, has had two brothers (both now deceased) who were Members of Dominica's Parliament. He has a nephew who is currently serving in the Cabinet of Ministers.

Adenauer, whose nickname is pronounced "Washway", has never contested a seat at Dominica's General Elections or been appointed a Senator in the Parliament. However, he has been elected to and served on the Portsmouth Town Council for a total of 12 years, initially as a regular Councillor and subsequently as Mayor.

On the court, in Portsmouth and several other communities in Dominica you mention the name "Washway", and someone might remark, "Basketball!" Adenauer has made his mark in Dominica's basketball arena, contributing to the development of the sport and devoting much of his energies to the development of young players.

Washway helped form OO-Washers, with whom he played in the Intermediate Division of the national league in 1999. He also played with that team in the Portsmouth Basketball League (PBL).

Washway has also coached several teams in different leagues. He held the clipboard with (Portsmouth) Raiders while they played in the senior division of the national league; OO-Washers in the PBL; the Portsmouth Secondary School Under-20 Boys, Under-20 Girls and Under-15 Boys in the Sports Division Basketball Competitions; and the Dominica National Youth Team.

Washway's coaching and management skills also extended to Junior Washers (from the OO-Washers Basketball Academy) when they played in a Euro-Caribbean Teenage Basketball Tournament held in Martinique; the other representative teams came from France, French Guiana, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Additionally, he coached and managed a Dominica Representative Women's Team in a tournament staged in Martinique in 2017.

Washway's other basketball caps include serving as Vice-President and Committee Member on the Dominica Amateur Basketball Association; President of the Portsmouth Basketball League; and occasionally officiating.

However, the two most outstanding feathers in Warshwoa's basketball caps are firstly, being credited with raising the level of basketball in Portsmouth and, most importantly, having assisted several young Dominican players secure athletic scholarships to study and play basketball at "schools" in the USA. (Continues next edition).