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GABA launches impressive basketball League
-Pacesetters back in the fold for tournament
By Edison Jefford
The Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) League will officially
GABA President, David Carto (sitting, right) and Vice-President, Kester Gomes pose with the representatives of the three winning teams from the GABA Knockout tournament following an announcement of an upcoming League.
bounce off on February 18 with a reported 14 teams expected to participate after the sub-association dunked an alley-oop from three major sponsors for the extensive League.
The 14-team League will be historic, underscoring the most teams that have ever competed in the sub-association League in the New Millennium. The announcement came during a GABA media briefing yesterday at Thirst Park that essentially served two purposes.
The first reason for the update was to officially present the top three teams in the GABA Season-Opening Knockout Tournament with their awards, while the secondary purpose was to officially announce the coming of what is anticipated to be an impressive League.
“We have oral commitments from three big organisations for the League and we are going to tie those arrangements up by Friday,” GABA President, David Carto told Kaieteur Sport when asked about sponsorship for what will certainly be a massive undertaking.
The League will feature Ravens, Pacesetters, Knights, Macabees, Pepsi Sonics, Guyana Defence Force, Panthers, Eagles, Nets, Patriots, Plaisance Guardians and Bounty Colts. The GABA head informed that two new teams from the West Bank of Demerara are expected to register, upping the number of GABA-affiliated teams to 14 ahead of the League.
Asked if the registration issue with Pacesetters that affected the performance of the association in the last year was settled, Carto made it clear that it has been resolved and all the clubs have given their full support to ensuring that the League is a success.
“I would say that the issue have been resolved and they (clubs) have agreed in principle to support us,” he said. Pacesetters and other clubs had responded negatively last year to calls from the association to follow an established registration process, which was aimed at developing an inventory of affiliated teams for smooth administrative purposes.
The Guyana Basketball Officials Council (GBOC) will run the tournament that is expected to start on the Burnham Basketball Court and according to Carto, progress to other venues based on how sponsors and patrons respond.
The competition will attract over $500,000 in prize monies with another sum set aside for getting the top teams equipment. Carto told the media that apart from the winning prize money, a GABA initiative will see teams being equipped with balls, uniforms, coolers and other basketball paraphernalia based on how well they perform in the League.
This writer had commented on the invaluable nature of basketball Leagues in the January 24 edition of this newspaper. The GABA League will provide the true picture of the level of the sport in Georgetown, which will further enlighten stakeholders.
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