Jacobs considers termination of ABIIT scholarship

Dec 02, 2008 Sports

– says offer did not live up to expectations

Nichola Jacobs

By Edison Jefford
After years of sacrifice and then months of careful contemplation on whether to accept an Antigua and Barbuda International Institute of Technology (ABIIT) scholarship, Nichola Jacobs is now considering scrapping the arrangement.

The top local female basketball player told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that the offer did not live up to her expectations and many of the tenets of the contract have remained on the oral level since she arrived there in September.

“The people that gave me the scholarship have not checked on me. I applied to places for work but they say I am here as a student so I can’t get work permit when that was part of the arrangement at first,” Jacobs said.

After touring the island with a national women’s select team in January this year, Jacobs was offered a scholarship to pursue studies in Business Administration after her dominant performance in the tournament.

She did not immediately showed interest in the erudition offer but consistent thought over a period of months compelled the athlete to yield and migration moves began in August, which culminated with a benefit game.

The decision to take up the offer seemed best at the time but now Jacobs is bordering on labelling the choice a mistake. As a result, she told this newspaper that she could be back in Guyana as early as January next year.

“I am thinking about coming home in January because I don’t think I can manage school and help out [financially] in the home where I am staying without a job,” she said, adding that she has not gotten the promised support.

Continuing from her residence in Antigua, Jacobs made it clear that it is very hard on her at the moment because of her work situation. She also blamed the Guyana consulate in Antigua for not fulfilling earlier promises.

“They were some people here that promised to help out like the Guyana consulate but I arrive they did not give me anything. It’s not easy, I will terminate it [the scholarship],” the national stalwart reiterated.

She said that she have to purchase books that cost almost EC$2000 (averagely $150,000 in Guyana dollars) per subject every semester and still has to buy food; her inability to work has placed her in an awkward situation.

According to Jacobs, only three months’ stay on the island was issued to her upon arrival, which she claims to be renewable upon expiration. She said that was strange for someone scheduled to spend two years on scholarship.

As it relates to the playing of the sport, the athlete informed that she has played only two games for a club that eventually got knocked out of the competition. She said that the sport is just as inactive as in Guyana.

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