The wait is over… GABF tournament to resume next weekend

Jul 11, 2008 Sports

By Edison Jefford
The wait for sub–associations is expected to be officially over next weekend when the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) resumes their inter–sub–association tournament in New Amsterdam with two games.

Technical Coordinator for the GABF, Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that both games include teams representing New Amsterdam and will be played at Vrymans Erven in the Ancient County.

Cadogan revealed that New Amsterdam’s female team will play Georgetown’s while New Amsterdam’s under–23 team also comes up against Georgetown in the first two of the seven remaining games to end the competition.

The championship, which started in June, came to a halt more than three weeks ago over issues that Cadogan did not disclose yesterday. However, the GABF technical manager gave all assurance that when it resumes it will be completed.

The competition is being played in four categories: senior female, senior male, male under–23 and male under–20. The Linden women have won two games just as the Georgetown senior males.

Georgetown’s under–20 team has also won two games while Linden’s under–23 team have so far beaten East Bank; Georgetown’s under–23 team have defeated New Amsterdam in their only game to–date in the event.

Cadogan indicated that apart from an East Bank versus Georgetown contest in the male under–23 contest, which will be the last game and will be played in Georgetown, the four remaining encounters are scheduled for Linden.

Those games billed for the Mackenzie Sports Club court in the Mining Town include: Linden senior male vs. New Amsterdam; Linden under–20 vs. New Amsterdam; Linden under–23 vs. New Amsterdam and Linden under–23 vs. Georgetown.

“I have to contact the Linden sub–association (Linden Amateur Basketball Association) regarding the games to be played in Linden,” Cadogan said, adding that because Linden is involved in all of those four games, the GABF has taken a decision to have them played there.

Avway Enterprises, Hits and Jams Television (HJTV) and Howard Peters are the primary sponsors of the competition. According to the Technical Coordinator, the tournament is part of the GABF 2008 programme.

Meanwhile, Cadogan informed that National Coach of the 2007 Guyana male team that played in the Caribbean championships last year in Puerto Rico, Larry Davis along with two other coaches will be in Guyana from July 25–28 to conduct a clinic.

“They (the coaches) will be working with all categories; they will be looking for possible candidates, so once our guys have the right work ethic, they can be scouted,” Cadogan, a former national Coach, told this paper.