Hamid gears for basketball restoration

May 20, 2009 Sports

– youth development high on agenda

The newly–elected Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) President, Abdullah Hamid wants to focus on the restoration of the sport’s image, youth development and the much needed infrastructure in his tenure at the helm.

Abdullah Hamid

Hamid told Kaieteur Sport in an interview in Linden yesterday that he will ensure that clubs under the purview of LABA get a developmental role within the association in his attempt to create an inclusive leadership.

“I want to let clubs and players know that they have an integral part to play in the growth of basketball. I want to present others with the opportunity to help reform and restore the sport to where it used to be,” Hamid envisioned.

“We used to sell the sport back in the days and if the present players and officials take the necessary steps, then the sport can return to its former glory,” Hamid believed in his direct comment to earlier statements about the sport’s decline.

He had criticised former President, Uborn Smith for lack of work to advance the sport in an interview with this newspaper in February. Against such background he ran and won the top office against Joe Chapman on Sunday.

The new LABA President had highlighted the progress the Georgetown association made since it elected Trevor Rose, which reportedly saddened Hamid, who had publicly stated that Rose’s feat was unprecedented in the local sport.

In his resuscitation plan, Hamid plans to meet with major stakeholders to discuss various inputs into the sport. “I want to meet with the Georgetown association to talk about youth development and the national federation,” he said.

In addition, meetings with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and corporate giants namely Seeram Brothers, are part of his schedule. He said the meeting with the Ministry and Seeram Brothers is to discuss facility development.

“We need to address some things early; our coaches don’t understand administration and our facilities are not good. We want to talk about how we will approach training clinics for referees and coaches in Linden,” he informed.

Hamid said that he intends to request asphalt from Seeram Brothers for the Mackenzie Sports Club’s court. He stated that he will endeavour to get the labour work to spread the asphalt to relay the court voluntarily.

“We are short of referees and Linden have a FIBA [International Basketball Federation] accredited referee, [Sherwin Henry]. I think it is time for him to start looking at training more Linden referees,” the new LABA head advised.

In the face of criticism that he might be partial in his leadership because of a relationship with the Kashif and Shanghai Kings, Hamid informed that he has severed administrative ties with the club in an effort to be transparent.

“I have severed ties with Kings and I will strive to be neutral. In the past people have had affiliation to clubs, but I realise transparency is the best way forward for an executive that wants to establish its leadership,” Hamid supposed.

He said that he will attempt to have basketball at all levels with the aim of giving Linden clubs more option in drafting players. “I want to force clubs to select more players from a school structure, for instance,” he briefly outlined.

Hamid indicated that he was elected to advance basketball in Linden and believes that he has the necessary tools to do so with competence. He said that his networking ability will definitely place the sport on better footing in the future.