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Bermuda's basketball team are determined to win back the gold medals they feel are rightfully theirs as they head out to Aland for the Island Games this week.

The ballers - perhaps Bermuda's best medal hope along with the gymnastics team - brought home gold in 2005 but had to settle for silver last time around.

And Steve Simons, one of the team's three captains, insists nothing less than the best will do this time around.

"Every year we have gone we have brought back a medal. We'd be pretty disappointed if it wasn't gold this time," said the shooting guard.

There is an extra urgency to the team's bid for glory this time, having given up the chance to play in the Caribbean Championships to be in Aland. Another Bermuda team will go in their place.

Simons said the late scheduling of the CBC tournament - a much tougher competition - had forced them to choose the Island Games instead.

"We decided to go with the guaranteed option of the Island Games. It's great for us on one level because we are competing on a level playing field but most of us feel ready for the next challenge."

Bermuda will send a squad to British Virgin Islands for the Caribbean tournament but all their experienced players - including pro Sullivan Phillips and Chris Crumpler - will be in Aland.

Simons said they were on a mission to get gold and then step up next time round to face the likes of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Championships.

"The Island Games team is a family. We have been playing together since we started this thing eight years ago so we're a close knit group...

"Preparation has gone really well. We played in Canada in February and we've had a few scrimmages with the other Bermuda team (CBC team). We're in good shape and we're confident of getting our gold back."

Bermuda starts off against Cayman on Sunday a game Simons says they 'must win' to be in the frame for gold.

Bermuda has been drawn in Group B of the nine-team tournament with Cayman and Jersey.

The winners of each group go into a second round-robin play-off to decide who will contest the gold medal game.

"It's vital that we win that Cayman game if we want gold. You need to win your group to go through to the medal-round."

Simons added that the Caribbean tournament would be a worthwhile exercise for Bermuda's second squad despite the fact that they would be facing some highly experienced opposition. "They've never played at that level before so it will be a great experience for them," he added.[[In-content Ad]]

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