GABF awaits Government funding as CBC Championships’ tip off loom closer

May 30, 2018 Sports

Team Guyana in 2015 CBC, the 2018 squad when selected are fancied to go all the way for championship glory (www.caribbeanbasketball.com photo).

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) will be fielding two teams, Male and Female, in the 2018 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships which will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname from June 17th to 30th. This tournament will also serve as the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) Americup Caribbean pre-qualifiers, so there will be a lot at stake including a first senior men’s title for the Guyanese.
Head of the GABF, Nigel Hinds, is very confident of Guyana men not only moving on to the FIBA Americup next round of qualifications but winning the CBC Championships in Guyana’s neighbouring and fellow CARICOM affiliate, Suriname, when the tournament concludes in exactly one month’s time. However, the women’s chances of glory are slim but the tournament is being used to help advance the development of the resuscitated women’s programme locally.
The GABF who are currently funding the costs for accommodation, meals and travel out-of-pocket had requested funding of a total of $10million in early May from the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Ministry of the Presidency but are yet to receive a formal response from the either of the government agencies.
Currently, a total of thirteen players, comprising five women and eight men from Linden, Kwakwani and Berbice are currently staying at the Windjammer, Rima and Kanuku Suites hotels in Georgetown as they undergo daily training sessions at the Cliff Anders

Nigel Hinds

on Sports Hall (CASH) at 18:00hrs and 20:00hrs respectively for selection on Guyana’s National female and male teams. This, according to the GABF boos, is costing the federation approximately $100,000 each day.
Hinds explained that the requested government funding will help cover those expenses in addition to the purchase of overseas based players tickets, the registration fee of both male and female teams in the tournament which will amount to approximately $2million, stipend etc. It was noted that the National Sports Commission (NSC) will provide transportation for the players and officials to the Ferry harbour.
The Guyanese women are in Group B with Suriname, Barbados and Dominican Republic. While Group A includes: Bahamas, Cuba and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Guyanese men are in Group A with Suriname, Saint Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while Group B comprises of Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua & Barbuda, Haiti and Montserrat.