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The ‘Torani’ has finally docked

Jul 10, 2011 Sports

Dear Editor,
It is with profound sadness the Guyanese Basketball Fraternity learnt of the sudden pasting of Charles ‘Torani’ Clement, who played for the Ravens Basketball Club, and was one of the first local players to play professional basketball.
Charles Clement signed with Suriname top club, Yellow Birds, after impressing the Dutchmen in a series against British Guiana early in 1966. The year before, 1965, ‘Torani’ was British Guiana’s most outstanding player against the powerful American Athletic Union Basketball Team which crushed British Guiana three – nil at the Queens College Auditorium.  ‘Torani’ was British Guiana’s top scorer in all three matches against the Americans.
The 6ft 5 inches forward, who also played professionally in Brazil and Holland in the sixties, was banned by the then British Guiana Amateur Basketball Association in 1962 for two mouths. This suspension caused ‘Torani’ from being selected for the British Guiana team tours of Boa Vista, Trinidad and Barbados.
This 1962 British Guiana Team to Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados was:
Brian Dummett – Captain
Michael Mitchell
Orson Forbes
Ken Barrow
Eldon Vaughn
Rudolph Speedy Franklyn
Hewley Henry – player / coach
Godfrey Chin St Hill
Ovid Jackson
Joseph Small
Compton Nicholson
Ken Corsbie –Manager
But many felt that the name Charles Clement aka ‘Torani’ would have made a big difference since he was the most talked about player when the Ravens toured the Twin Island Republic in 1960. But the then British Guiana Basketball selectors ignored the public cry for ‘Torani’ inclusion.
This was the British Guiana team’s performance in Port of Spain and Bridgetown 1962.
Port of Spain: lost to Wales 54-51. Godfrey St. Hill 16 points, Hewley Henry 10 points, Ovid Jackson 10 points.
Lost to Trinidad National Team 58-57: Hewley Henry 23 points, Ken Barrow 12 points, Orson Forbes 12 points; Lost to Braves 61-45: Eldon Vaughn 19 points, Orson Forbes 8 points.
Performance in Bridgetown, Barbados: Lost to Barbados National Team 55-53, Godfrey St. Hill 12 points, Hewley Henry 10 points, Orson Forbes 9 points.  Lost to Barbados National Team again: 75-61.  The British Guiana boys’ only victory was against Tiger’s
Basketball Club 84-61.
‘Torani’ return to local basketball was phenomenal in 1963. After being the 1963 A League leading scorer, he led Ravens to their fourth consecutive A League titles with a dominant performance in the finals vs Bristol Eagles.
1963 A League finals results Ravens won 61-49: Charles ‘Torani’ Clement 20 points, Wally Murray 14 points, Hewley Henry 9 points. For the Bristol Eagles: Compton Nicholson 24 points, Winston Joseph 9 points, Walter Petrie 10 points.
Now that ‘Torani’ has finally docked lets cherish the vessel that give the land of the majestic Kaieteur Falls its first professional basketball touch for the many screams he left in Holland, Brazil and Suriname, Parade Ground, Queens College Auditorium and the Chinese Sports Club. Thanks Charles Clement, for us the ‘Torani’ will always sail.
Charwayne Walker

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