Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
GABF pursuing seven Internationals for CBC Championships
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) will pursue seven Guyanese International players for the upcoming Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships, slated for June 13-22 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Delroy James
According to GABF President, Nigel Hinds, the federation is basically seeking to full the Centre and Power Forward positions on the national team. Insufficient ‘big men’ locally has been one of the biggest challenges for the national team recently.
Following Guyana’s 3-0 victory against Bermuda here in Guyana, it was widely believed that the local players can compete with the best in the Caribbean but the two positions have to be filled if they are to effectively do so in the region.
Generally, the national basketball team minus the international players is undersized. Hence, the federation has gone abroad to address their shortcomings and instead of inviting a barrage of the international players with interests, as was the case last year, the GABF has narrowed its focus to seven players.
The ‘big men’ on the GABF radar include Berbician brothers, Delroy, Shawn and Gordon James, who are all playing in Europe. Delroy is 6’8″, Shawn is 6’10″ and Gordon is 6’6″; they are being eyed for the Power Forward and Centre positions.
In addition, Kaieteur Sport understands that an 18-year-old 6’10″ forward, John Ashley, is set to join the team. Overseas-based Guyanese CBC All-Star Point Guard, Keron McKenzie will return to the unit as well along with Tortola-based guard Ray Victor. Japan-based 6’9″ forward, Gordon Klaiber also makes a return to the team.
Gordon James
Those are the seven players of interest to the GABF for the upcoming Caribbean Championships in June; all-Guyanese teams beat Bermuda 3-0 at home and lost to Suriname 1-2 in Suriname last weekend. The international players are expected in Guyana during the first week of June to join the national team’s ongoing practice sessions.
Guyana and Suriname are slotted in the same group for CBC 2015. The other teams in the group are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, with Bermuda rounding out the five-team grouping. The two top teams in the group will qualify for the Final Four.
GABF President, Hinds had said that the first aim of the Guyanese team is to reach the last four, and after that they will fancy their chances of reaching the Final. (Edison Jefford)
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