Busy year for Basketball in 2013

Jan 08, 2014 Sports

---

 
– Sport poised to take off

Basketball in its two main playing communities, Georgetown and Linden received the right fillip early last year when two young enthusiasts, Michael Singh and Haslyn Graham were elected to head the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) and Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) respectively.

The two infused their youthfulness into both associations and brought to life some years of what can be called unnecessary dormancy; last year was an active year for both the GABA and LABA thanks to new, young and innovative administrations.
Following their respective election and with two young officials now at the helm of basketball in Linden and Georgetown, the two most active sub-associations mulled early collaborative efforts that will continue to aid in development of the sport, and the establishment of mutually beneficial relationships.
Singh invited Graham to participate in a planned 3-on-3 Basketball Fun Day early in February as a means of exchange. It was the first sign of a three other exchange programmes between the two sub-associations and the activation of work for Singh and Graham.
While Linden did not acquiescent to the Basketball Fun Day, which eventually included teams in Georgetown alone, as a means of bringing together clubs after a long divide within the previous administration, they agreed to a March 2 showdown against Georgetown select team at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The Linden vs Georgetown clash was impressively launched at the New Palm Court, which also served to launch an extensive GABA Division I and III League. Georgetown won the rivalry that took place at the Sports Hall while Trinity Grid Holdings (TGH) Pacesetters gifted Coach Bobby Cadogan with both Leagues before his migration to the United States.
March was not without its lows however, as it was the first sign of an ensuing battle between the national forward, Dwayne Roberts and the LABA over a six-year ban he received for throwing a ball during a game that injured a referee. Roberts had first appealed the decision in March, but it took months before an amicable decision finally came late year.
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) had reinstated Roberts to full playing rights late in 2013 after the intervention of GABF General Secretary, Michael Burnett. The LABA was unhappy with the decision and refused to uphold the GAPF ruling, which resulted in them being temporarily banned – a matter that was later resolved as well.
The Sugar Roberts saga, however, in no way affected the programmes of the LABA, which had in August launched its Secondary Schools Basketball Championships. The competition followed Youth Basketball Guyana’s (YBG) National Schools’ Basketball Festival, which was played the month before in Georgetown at the Sports Hall.
Marian Academy won its first Schools’ Under-20 national title while Kwakwani won the Under-17 title. However, Kwakwani returned later in the year at the YBG Titan Bowl to exact complete revenge on any team that dared to challenge them. The wins among the eight elite schools teams in the country further underscored Coach, Ann Gordon’s legacy.

Following the completion of the GABA Leagues, the Georgetown sub-association hosted a four-team playoff among the top four teams from both Leagues. Colts won the playoff title after they had beaten Ravens in the Final. It was the first real test of Colts’ ascendancy in Georgetown after Singh took over the club from the late Phillip George.
Basketball continued it proliferation in Georgetown when Pacesetters continued the annual Inter-Ward Basketball Championships; Albouystown successfully defended its title for the community based competition that was aimed at reinvigorating grassroots support.
In October, the GABA hosted Suriname’s Yellowbirds in an exchange programme to play Pepsi Sonics and Colts. The six-man Surinamese team defeated Sonics and received a beating against a surging Colts that had rescued the host country from embarrassment.
In the Mining Town of Linden, also in October, the LABA continued its Season with the Trophy Stall-sponsored regulation tournament where Kings defeated Jets in the final. The LABA hosted the Brusche’s Classic a month later that Georgetown’s Ravens won.
LABA also started the Sunburst sponsored School’s Under-17 competition which is scheduled to be completed this month.
Meanwhile, the GABF facilitated an International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Level II Clinic for Coaches in October, which saw a less than impressive turnout of a list of 40-plus local Level I Coaches to upgrade to the next level.
The GABA closed the year with the annual Phillip George Memorial tournament, which resulted in another win for Ravens. All-in-all, it was a busy year for Basketball in two main communities. The mega crowd and fan support was visibly absent last year despite a busy year for the sport; it suggests that the sport is poised to take off following grassroots work last year. (Edison Jefford)

 

---

---