NSC, basketball authorities forge relationship

Aug 11, 2009 Sports

Unanimous on working together

Director of Sport Neil Kumar (3rd left) makes a point during yesterday’s basketball stake holders meeting.

By Edison Jefford
The National Sports Commission (NSC) and basketball authorities inaugurated a strategic relationship yesterday after a no-holds-barred meeting at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall that was very well attended and represented.
Director of Sport, Neil Kumar and presiding President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation, David Patterson issued a joint statement of commitment to working together to advance the sport following Godwin McPherson‘s death.
Kumar had summoned basketball stakeholders to yesterday’s meeting to discuss the path forward for the sport. All the major luminaries and subsidiaries turned out to the meeting in a timely move that could heal old wounds.
The meeting opened with a minute of silence for McPherson, who, up until his death, had spent 18 years as President of the national federation. His death had opened up a definite void but Patterson has since answered the call.
“We never had this kind of collaboration in the history of basketball. We are prepared to work together and we have a commitment for all parties to work together. It was fruitful, free and frank“, Kumar and Patterson stated.
The two top officials of the forum indicated that the discussions ranged from the Annual General Meeting this year to long and short term development programmes. The state of basketball in Berbice was also a hot topic.
“We plan to have a better relationship with the media because we want to have one voice moving forward“, they subsequently told Kaieteur Sport, who was present at the meeting but not actively involved in the discussions.
President of the Georgetown sub-association, Trevor Rose also described the meeting as “fruitful“ while stating that he expects the implementation of those things that were up for debate. He said ‘action speaks louder that words‘.
Among the things Rose lobbied for was the replacement of the damaged southern board at the Burnham Basketball Court. Kumar committed to having the backboard replaced in an effort toward improving the facility.
Abdullah ‘Zico‘ Hamid raised many questions about the infrastructure in Linden and was very articulate on the need for better courts in primary basketball nests such as Amelia‘s Ward, Christianburg and Retrieve.
Hamid, who is President of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association, said that most of his concerns were met with a commitment. “Kumar encouraged me to prepare a proposal on what is required for the rehabilitation“, he said.
There were also female and Berbice representatives at the forum. President of the Guyana Amateur Women‘s Basketball Association, Michaela Burnett informed that the responses to her concerns were “positive and overwhelming“.