YBG launches 12th National Schools’ Basketball Festival

Mar 17, 2017 Sports

Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) yesterday launched its 12th Edition of the National Schools’ Basketball Festival (NSBF) at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with the preliminary regional conferences bouncing off this month.

Director of YBG Chris Bowman (third, left) among other officials including Director of Sport, Christopher Jones (second, left) and sponsor Beharry Group of Companies at the launch of the tournament yesterday at the Sports Hall.

The National Championships of perhaps Guyana’s most valued schools’ basketball title is set for July after the conclusion of the regional conferences. YBG Director, Chris Bowman thanked the major stakeholders for sticking with the tournament through the years.
Bowman said that the event this year has had its own challenges, but owed to stakeholders such as the Beharry Group of Companies, Ministry of Education, the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation, the tournament returns.
”We are extremely grateful to host this event for the 12th year in a row; it has been hard work; we started with one sponsor and because of Digicel, Banks DIH and Beharry Group of Companies, we have grown into the tournament you see today that spans several districts and touches over 600 students,” Bowman said.
”Regrettably Banks and Digicel, because of internal issues, cannot be onboard with us this year, but it is also because of their commitment we are here today, including that of Beharry, who has been onboard with us for nine consecutive years,” he continued.
Brands Manager at Beharry Group of Companies, Monique Tiwari observed that the Beharry Group will continue to support the event, highlighting that the company is also proud of the achievements of Youth Basketball Guyana.
Other speakers at the occasion yesterday included vice-president of Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), Kenrick Thomas, Director of Sport, Christopher Jones and Physical Education head in the Ministry of Education, Nicholas Fraser.
Thomas informed that the federation will continue working with the YBG in the development of youth basketball as it did when Guyana hosted the Caribbean Under-26 Championships last year. He also thanked the sponsors for their continued support.
Jones, on the other hand, indicated that he was pleased to be part of the activity, highlighting that Digicel and Banks DIH’s pulling of the sponsorship plug concretises the agenda of the NSC that has been lobbying the Ministry of Finance to give businesses that support sports tax wavers, and or, exemptions.
Jones committed that NSC will try to full the shortfall from Banks and Digicel with the tournament once it can.

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