The GABF has a FIBA mandate to govern the game in Guyana

Sep 12, 2014 Sports

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Dear Editor,
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) primary objective is to promote, supervise and govern the playing of amateur basketball in Guyana as International Basketball Federation (FIBA) stipulated. In addition to its local obligations, the GABF has the responsibility of preparing male and female national teams to represent Guyana at any regional or international tournament.
It is important to have a good relationship with all Government institutions, in particular with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. A good relationship with the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) is also important. The GOA can be a strong ally of the GABF in developing basketball. The status of basketball is best reflected in the relationship between great industrial systems and state institutions on one side and the GABF and its initiatives and requests on the other side.
I write in response to the series of editorials published in the Guyana newspapers in reference to the preparation and responsibility of the Guyana national men and women U-19 basketball teams competing with other National Federations that are members of FIBA.
If you are executing an international competition with players that are the national team and are wearing the country’s names as the official name of the team and playing under FIBA official basketball rules, then it must be approved by a National Federation regardless if it’s a qualifying or non-qualifying competition.
Whose official basketball rules are the IGG using? Is it the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), FIBA or does IGG have their own official basketball rules developed by the Government?
Everyone is failing to understand the subject matter at large; no one is questioning what Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) is doing as it relates to youth basketball development. In the past the Haynes Foundation has invested millions of dollars in YBG and National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) programmes due to the lack of youth development in the sport from previous GABF administrations.
The subject is: “The GABF is the sole authority to select any National Team regardless of the competition merit.”
The National Sports Commission (NSC) and YBG has to allow the current GABF Executive Committee to execute their plan and stop associating previous GABF leadership and what was done in the past with this new GABF Executive Committee.
Instead of dividing the basketball fraternity in Guyana, the Government through the offices of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and Ministry of Education needs to work with the GABF and its sub-associations to develop and grow the sport.
“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future,” says George Bernard-Shaw
Please note that despite the manner in which the business of sports is conducted under the Goodwill Agreement between Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, National Member Federations of FIBA have a mandate to uphold and respect the General Statutes of FIBA.
Specifically, the participation in a basketball activity within the geographical jurisdiction of a member of FIBA requires the approval and sanction of the particular Federation.
I am writing to first inform your organisations, namely NSC and YBG of the mandates of FIBA, and second to inform you that the participation of teams from other jurisdictions requires the approval of the National Federations of both home and visiting teams.
I trust that this may bring to your attention the need to secure the approval and sanction of the respective National Federation. This letter will also serve as notice to our respective National Member Federations that the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) event has not been sanctioned or approved by the required entities with statutory authority.
The IGG is an international event that needs the National Federation’s approval. This does not need any interpretation or translation. As a small basketball country, we frequently compare our programmes to multi-million dollar programmes in the Unites States etc such as USA Basketball (USAB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The NBA is affiliated to FIBA through USAB and follows the governance of USAB. In fact the NBA and USAB each occupy a seat on the FIBA Central Board, which was elected this past August at the FIBA World Congress in Sevilla, Spain.
If the NBA adheres to the governance of USAB, why can’t the YBG organisation do the same with the GABF?
“Basketball has evolved since 1891. Basketball is not only about players, the administration of basketball is equally as important as the players. A sport cannot exist without structure, remove the rules, referees, administrators, fans, equipment and all we have are players looking at each other on a blank hard-court.” – Horacio Muratore – Elected FIBA President.

Yours in sports,
Patrick Haynes
Vice President of Finance and Marketing
Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC)
CONCENCABA, Board Member

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