Is Lugard Mohan the first player selected to the CARICOM all star team in his rookie and sophomore years

May 19, 2013 Sports

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Charwayne Walker, Statistician, continues his look at former Guyanese sports personalities who have served with distinction during their playing careers. This week he looks at former national basketballer Lugard Mohan.
Only three Guyanese male Basketball players have the distinct honour of being named in a CARICOM  All Star Team twice, Leon Christian, Auric Tappin and Lugard Mohan, but before Christian and Tappin gained selection (1988) the two future Hall of famers had the privilege of playing in CARICOM Championships in 1985 in Barbados and 1986 in Trinidad and

Tobago.  Unlike his mentors, Lugard Mohan was a CARICOM All Star selectee in his Rookie Year (1994) and his sophomore year 1995 a feat that is probably unmatched in the Caribbean.
Although he dominated the schools championships in the late eighties he had to wait until July 1993 for his first outing in National Colours.  Unlike his brother Orin, who benefitted from the Inter Guiana Youth Series and an unforgettable 1995 under-19 tour to Atlanta, there was no such luxury for Lugard.  At 19 he was among a squad of 28 called to trials for the 1991 CARICOM championship in Jamaica.  Although he failed to make the final 12 the experience gained would later prove invaluable.
After the exodus of Ray Williams and Dave Trotman from Ravens the man running things was Neville Alert, Protégé Lugard Mohan.
The following year 1992, Lugard was dominant at the point and shooting guard position for Ravens Georgetown and North Ruimveldt so it was a real shock when the selectors bypassed him for National selection against the touring TTL Bombery professional team from Germany, but the former St. Stanislaus standout disappointment was short lived.  July 1993 will always remain fresh in Lugard’s memory because he had a fantastic debut against Barbados at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.  Lugard was the man calling plays and Guyana, under Eion Leitch Captaincy, humbled Barbados in game one of a three match series.
Although Barbados came from behind and took the series two games to one, Lugard showed that he had the composure and temperament to handle the pressure of International Basketball.  He played with gusto and flamboyance in his next international series against Suriname and DC Jammers.  With Lugard controlling things, Guyana played unbeaten en-route to the finals only to falter to deceive by surrendering to the Washington basketballers in 1994.
The year 1994 Guyana hosted its third CARICOM Championship and this was the moment Lugard Mohan was waiting for.  He was spectacular from the opening victory against Suriname but the performance that really took the Caribbean by storm was the way he mesmerized Trinidad and Tobago.
In both victories against the Twin Island Republic en-route to the final, Lugard was the mastermind, he was the man setting up the elusive Steven Nurse and when the Trinis decided to double team Nurse, Lugard made them pay.  Although he failed to reproduce the same form in the final that Barbados won handsomely, he was an automatic choice when the CARICOM All Star Team was selected.   His biggest disappointment in 1994 was Guyana’s failure to attend the prestigious Centro American basketball championship they qualified for by placing second to Barbados.
His next CARICOM championship the following year, 1995, in the Bahamas remains fresh in his memory, not because he was selected to the CARICOM All Star team again, but because Guyana failed to win a single preliminary game and he was Co-Captain with Leon Christian.
In 1996, his first taste of National Captaincy, he celebrated the appointment by sweeping DC Jammers 3 Nil at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.  Guyana playing under Lugard won game one 99 to 85, the skipper led from the front with 20pts, game two Guyana won 115 to 96 and wrapped up the series 97 to 93, Lugard top scoring with 23 pts.  After conquering the lads from Washington DC, Guyana, with Lugard Mohan at the helm, deplaned at Piarco International Airport in search of the Land of many waters first Caricom title.
The Mission was nicknamed search and destroy.  The first casualty was Barbados the boys from ‘Bimshire’ succumbed 84 to 78, the Skipper top scored with 22 pts.   They followed up with the Mighty Bahamas who surrendered 86 to 104.  Lugard and Wayne Bristol shared the top score with 17 pts each.   Host Trinidad halted the Lugard show with a 111 to 88 victory, the Skipper and Remington Ram top scored for Guyana with 13 points each.
Jamaica playing with former NBA Pros Rumeal Robinson and Andrew Kennedy edged Guyana in a thriller 106 to 98, Captain Mohan top scored with 19 pts.  After the heartbreaking loss to Jamaica, Lugard’s men regrouped and out classed St. Lucia 86 to 63, Dominica 86 to 73, but were edged in the semifinals against Jamaica 100 to 97.  Centre Lorenzo Withrite top scored with 27 pts and 7 rebounds, Wayne Bristol 23 pts and Skipper Mohan Bristol 20 pts, Rawlwyn Loncke 21 pts and Remington Ram 18 pts.  Both skipper Mohan and Centre Lorenzo Withrite aggregated over 100 points at the end of the 1996 championship.
In his next international series in charge, he led Guyana to a three Nil sweep of Trinidad and Tobago June 1997.  In game one he led from the front with 19 pts Guyana won 75 to 66. Game two Guyana triumphed 81 to 74 with Rawlwyn Loncke 21 pts, Lorenzo Withrite 19 pts, Captain Mohan 13 pts 12 assists.  Game three saw Guyana winning 76 to 67.  Lorenzo Withrite scored 19 pts, 10 rebounds, Lancelot Loncke 18 pts 12 rebounds.
Injuries prevented him from playing Guyana’s next series against Barbados.  Lugard returned to the National team the following year 1998 with a bang and led Guyana to four Nil thrashing of DC Jammers at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.   Game one Guyana won 90 to 81, Remington Ram 18 pts, 8 Rebounds, Orin Mohan 16 pts.  Game two finished Guyana 100 to DC Jammers 86, Lugard Mohan 19 pts, Lancelot Loncke 19 pts, and 21 rebounds, Orin Mohan 19 pts.  Game three Guyana won 88 to 83 Lorenzo Withrite 24 pts, Remington Ram 16 pts, Dane Kendall 14 pts.  Game four; Guyana 89 points beat DC Jammers 83 points; Remington Ram 17 pts, Lorenzo Withrite 16 pts, Orin Mohan 15 pts.
Know with 14 Victories from 18 matches Lugard was touted as the man who will end Guyana’s Regional drought, but the National team were a no show in Belize and this was probably Lugard’s saddest moment since he made his International Debut in 1993.  The senior team played no International matches in 1999 so Lugard had to settle for Division one, Inter ward and Inter Sub Association action.
The next year (2000) Guyana returned to CARICOM Championship action and Lugard Mohan was the man wearing the Captaincy armband.  Guyana started the (2000) Campaign on a disappointed note, losing to host Barbados 86 to 69 points, the late Deryck Boyd top scored with 20 pts, Lorenzo Withrite supported with 15 pts.  In the second game against Antigua, Lugard’s men bounced back with an emphatic 74 to 64 points victory, Lorenzo Withrite had 17 pts Captain Mohan 15 pts.   Guyana then destroyed Dominica 93 to 71, Lancelot Loncke 20 pts Lugard Mohan 12 pts.
They also humbled Jamaica 70 to 63 as Lugard Mohan top scored with 24 points, Lancelot Loncke 18 pts.  Guyana loss in the semi-finals to the US Virgin Islands 96 to 75; Captain Mohan was spectacular in that game scoring 26 pts inclusive of six three pointers from seven tries.  In the third placed game he insured Guyana brought home the Bronze Medal, top scoring again with 26 pts with five three pointers as the land of the majestic Kaieteur silenced Belize 87 to 69.  Unfortunately this was Lugard last outing at the CARICOM Championship level.  He finished the (2000) Bridgetown show piece with 103 points from six matches in the process he became the only Guyanese player to aggregate over 100 points twice at the CARICOM level.
Guyana failed to attend the 2002, 2004, 2006 championship disrupting a career that was destined for many CARICOM Championship accolades.  He later joined Cecil Chin as former National players who became FIBA Certified Referees.  Lugard was Robert Cadogan’s Assistant Coach in 2011 when the National team last attended the Caribbean Championship in the Bahamas.  His younger Brother Orin ‘Baby’ Mohan is also a former National Player.
International tours
1994    Barbados
1994    Trinidad with Ravens
1995    Bahamas
1996    Trinidad
2000    Barbados
2002    Antigua
2004    Suriname
2011    Bahamas
Career Highs – 26 pts vs US Virgin Islands and 26 pts vs Belize – Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium Bridgetown (2000).

 

 

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