Latest update March 21st, 2025 7:03 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Appalling yet intriguing silence

Mar 11, 2009 Sports

–‘Letter of Commitment’ status unknown

 

By Edison Jefford

 

The current status of the requested ‘Letter of Commitment’ from basketball stakeholders became unknown yesterday as silence was both appalling and intriguing on the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) stipulated deadline.

Head of CBC, Usie Richards gave the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) up to yesterday to submit a ‘Letter of Commitment’ that the association must sign along with the Government or Olympic association.

However, up to press time on the deadline date, Kaieteur Sport could not ascertain a word from the Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, who was engaged in negotiations, nor the GABF President, Godwin McPherson on the document’s status.

Both Kumar and McPherson could not be reached via telephone for comment on whether their signatures were affixed to the ‘Letter of Commitment’ and whether the document was dispatched to CBC for further deliberation.

A confidential source confirmed that McPherson and Kumar met yesterday at the latter’s office located at the bottom flat of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on Main Street but the source had no further details.

McPherson had previously indicated that the two officials were in “negotiations” over the signing of the document where Kumar’s expressed reservation was that a budget on the various costs associated was needed to guide him.

The success or failure of these “negotiations” is still largely unknown and the two parties that have the necessary details were unavailable Monday. The appalling yet intriguing silence could attract ambiguous meanings.

First and foremost, it could mean that negotiations are incomplete since it would be to the credit of both the GABF and Government to speedily announce that the document was given the necessary green light and dispatched.

Given the imbroglios that ruptured the relationship of the two entities in the past, any one occasion to demonstrate that they are in collaboration would be willingly accommodated if the news were overwhelmingly positive.

However, the silence led to suspense and as indicated in a previous article on this subject entitled “Things Fall Apart” in our Monday issue, all basketball enthusiasts, patrons and stakeholders should hold their breaths this week.

Second and finally, the silence could mean that the Public and Media Relations function of both the GABF and Director of Sport has collapsed since the signing of the document cannot be deemed, in no way, a private matter.

The focus is Guyana hosting the prestigious Caribbean Basketball Championships in this year and as such, the move to secure the rights reiterates Martin Carter’s perpetual poetic line: “All are involved, all are consumed”.

The GABF need Government support in its effort to host the CBC Championships but as is usual, previously promised support is threatening to fizzle into empty rhetoric and that would basically freeze all stated intention to host.

The hosting of the CBC Championships requires a national effort that encompasses both the major stakeholders of the sport and the media. Either cannot function in isolation but Monday’s silence was appalling and yet intriguing.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

NSC, Office of the DPP to host Criminal Law and Sexual Offences Act meeting tomorrow

NSC, Office of the DPP to host Criminal Law and Sexual Offences Act...

Mar 21, 2025

Kaieteur Sports– In a proactive move to foster a safer and more responsible sporting environment, the National Sports Commission (NSC), in collaboration with the Office of the Director of...
Read More
Lucas Chung maintains strong standing at 2nd Qualifier

Lucas Chung maintains strong standing at 2nd...

Mar 21, 2025

Farm Supplies Ltd. supports Bartica Regatta 2025

Farm Supplies Ltd. supports Bartica Regatta 2025

Mar 21, 2025

Legislation and Investment: Trinidad to Brazil, Guyana finds new lifeline

Legislation and Investment: Trinidad to Brazil,...

Mar 21, 2025

Three more matches billed for this weekend

Three more matches billed for this weekend

Mar 21, 2025

CM Khan rules at 2025 National Blitz Chess Championships

CM Khan rules at 2025 National Blitz Chess...

Mar 21, 2025

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]