GABF’s strong stance needs support

Aug 28, 2014 Sports

By Edison Jefford
Philosophically, the new Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) might be purist, but it is surely not pathetic in its pursuit to regularise and bring structure to local basketball. Such goals beg for widespread support from all stakeholders of the sport.
It is appalling to discover that after years of administrative dormancy, a new, vibrant, committed and hard working federation is being castigated in the context of high-handedness for enforcing what should be simple rules and regulations.
The issue here is the emerging perception of so many, some on social media, that the federation is somehow running amok for enforcing several disciplinary actions on national players, referees, officials and coaches for varying infractions.
Chronologically, it is prudent to begin with the uniform issue that came out of the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships late last month, which resulted in many senior national players being fined and banned.
The GABF had asked all players to simply return both the warm-up and competition uniforms to management following the Championships. Instead, several players opted to keep the items as a souvenir piece (the Captain, a former NBA player, framed his) or as retribution for stipends they believed were owed to them for representing their country.
These uniforms are re-usable and names can be swapped to accommodate new players; they also cost in excess of US$10,000 to produce. The federation was at its wits’ end to find funding for a male and female team for CBC as well as outfitting both teams.
The GABF thought it wise to produce outfits that can be kept for future engagements, therefore lowering future participation costs. However, several players, most of whom should have been in positions to set the example, defected from what should have been normal.
Players kept the uniforms, forcing the federation to issue fines and bans if the items were not returned. How is it that an edict from national authority supervising a national team to return the property of the federation can be flouted and somehow some within the basketball community believe an injustice was done to players?
Rules are rules. If the federation asked that uniforms be returned then the uniforms should have been returned; simple! Are we in that era where we partner with wrong and condone indiscipline even at the emotional level? Players who wanted to keep the uniforms should have informed the GABF that they will fund the production of their uniforms.
Continuing in chronology, the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) and Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) issues perpetuated the disregard for the authority of the national federation, which sadly, started in-house with the players’ uniform issue.
The GABF had asked that it be recognised as the sole authority for basketball in Guyana and as such, programmes such as YBG ought to be sanctioned or else they remain illegitimate. YBG is relevant here because the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport through its National Sports Commission (NSC) continues to say that it uses the YBG National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) to select the IGG Basketball team.
All this is done outside of the authority of the federation (in all basketball and related matters). It is corrupt to have national leaders usurping the role of a national federation, thereby transferring such authority to an independent programme that receives subsistence from the NSC; this should not have been condoned at a basic, more so, ministry level.
Again, the federation is simply asking that programmes such as YBG comply with its regulations and rules. When the federation now moves to ban officials, who knew what was the position of the GABF if they participate as part of the unsanctioned IGG basketball event, the matter is dealt with at the emotional level.
This needs to be given some time to marinate, before a conclusion is made that suggests that we are condoning systemic flouting of rules and regulations, indiscipline, insubordination and gross usurpation of roles and responsibilities. Basketball stakeholders whether fan, player or sponsor, should support the GABF in what has become a fight to remain relevant.

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