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Abdulla Hamid hosts 27th Annual Basketball Camp in Linden
The Annual Basketball camp hosted by Abdulla Hamid in Linden has shown great improvements over the years as more youths attend and achieve accolades.
Coaching in session at the basketball camp.
According to Abdulla Hamid it all started twenty seven years ago after he made the national U17 team in 1987. Hamid said he was contemplating how to give back to the community and two years later he decided to launch a foundation “Abdulla Hamid Basketball Foundation”. “I launched the programme on August 16th 1989 and to now that programme has been sustaining basketball growth and development of youths in Linden; so I continue to do it. I have a passion for the development of youths and this is the 27th year.”
Hamid boasted that all the talent coming out of Linden and have attained the highest level of basketball such as Nyota Peters, Steve Neils (jnr), Akeem Khanhai, Marvin Hartman and Stacy Hoyte among others, emerged from his foundation.
He noted that as long as he has the strength and health he will keep producing quality players but says he has one dream. “One of the things in life I pray is to produce a top class College or NBA player. That is my dream so I will keep pushing as long as possible to fulfill my dream.”
Asked about how he is able to finance such a foundation, he said back in the early 90’s some friends in the USA such as Dr. Steve Carryl who was himself a basketball player at school level and his brother Michael who came to promote boxing assisted, but they lost contact.
He applauded others such as Gary Stephens and John Davidson and others on a minor scale but claimed he does it all ‘from my pockets’. “Every time I travel to do my own business or FIFA appointment I buy equipment. I have no major sponsors and it is hard really hard but I love doing what I do. I don’t believe that I have to beg anyone for help when I am doing it for the community, the companies should assist.”
Hamid youngest charge is 3 year old Mosi Brusche who has basketball in his genes as his grandfather Claude Brusche was a National Player. Hamid said children keep following him and noted that Steve Neils also started at that tender age.
Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueria on behalf of Caring for Others International Charity donated a ball and an undisclosed sum of cash. Figueria said the Organization headed by overseas based Guyanese Eslyn Shokley is in the fight against poverty and said he supports what Hamid is doing for the youths, especially at this time when school is out.
“I am here basically to support Abdulla’s programme in this community for the past twenty odd years and I believe it is a worthwhile contribution to show selfless commitment towards the development of the sport in the community; and the young people in the community have a golden opportunity to learn from a man who has national and international experience.”
Figueria said that he believes that businesses in the community should take advantage and partner with Hamid so that the programme could blossom and grow so that more national athletes can come out.
“This community has been known for producing national athletes of high caliber and I believe Abdulla’s programme will continue to contribute towards enhancing sports within our Region.”
According to Hamid, who thanked the Member of Parliament for his timely contribution, the camp ends on August 15th and he intends to bring a team from Georgetown and have an U15 and U17 playoff, because according to him his wards will gain ‘a challenge from’. (Jacquey Bourne)
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