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GABF to announce reduced local squad by Monday for Barbados series – Travis Belgrave positive on making 12-man squad
Eagles’ Travis Belgrave (with ball) is optimistic about making the final cut.
With Just over two weeks before Guyana’s senior men’s team begin their quest for their first taste of glory at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships which will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname from June 17 – 30, training has intensified at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) as the athletes look to do their best before the 17-man squad is reduced to twelve on Monday.
This twelve-man man team to Barbados from June 7 – 11 will play the home side in a three-match friendly series as they both look to get in high level practice for the CBC tournament which will also serve as the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) Americup qualifiers.
The games will be contested at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Wildey, St. Michael on the 8th, 9th and 10th from 20:00hrs each night.
Guyana’s 12-member squad travelling to Barbados will consist mostly of local based players and they all will look to impress in a bid to be a part of the final local contingent which will join the overseas based players for CBC action in the Paramaribo.
The current 17-man squad training locally reads: Anthony Moe, Shaine Webster, Stanton Rose, Harold Adams, Kevon Wiggins, Timothy Thompson, Akeem Crandon, Orlando Glasgow, Domair Gladstone, Travis Burnette, Chris Williams, Nikkoloi Smith, Travis Belgrave, Nathan Saul, Denson Fraser, Dominic Vincente and Carlos Edwards. Meanwhile, Curt English, Shelroy Thomas and Terron Welch are on the injury list.
Shane Webster
One of the most certain picks in the final 12 to head to the ‘Land of the ‘Flying Fish’ will be 18-year-old Stanton Rose who had carried over his outstanding form on the local circuit to Suriname late last month when his club, Bounty Colts, battled Suriname’s national senior men’s team in a two-match friendly series.
The Suriname Basketball Association (SBA) that will be hosting the 2018 CBC male and female championships had used the series against Colts that featured six players that are up for Guyana’s National trials including Rose, as an opportunity to see their level of preparedness before the region’s premier basketball tournament bounces off.
Suriname won both games but Stanton Rose emerged undeniably the best player on both sides when final buzzer rung. Georgetown based Eagles Basketball Club’s Travis Belgrave, in an interview with Kaieteur Sport has expressed optimism of being a part of the travelling team. Belgrave noted that the 17 players training make up a very talented bunch but he believes that he has the quality to make the final 12.
Rightfully so, the 19-year-old has been the leading player for Eagles Basketball Club and had began the 2018 National Club Championships (Road to Mecca V) in fine form, turning in some stellar performances. His game-high 30 points in a narrow 68-66 round-robin loss to Nets remained the tournament’s highest individual score.
Pacesetters’ Nathan Saul had an impressive showing in Road to Mecca V and it was a close race between himself and Colts’ Domair Gladstone who was eventually awarded most improved player in Guyana’s flagship tournament, they will also be in contention to make the final cut.
Shaine Webster, Anthony Moe and Kevon Wiggins are names that are also almost certain to be in the final make-up.
In the regional tournament, the Guyanese men are in Group A with Suriname, St. Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines while Group B comprises, Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua & Barbuda, Haiti and Montserrat.
Head of the GABF, Nigel Hinds, informed Kaieteur Sport that his association had set a budget of $10 million for Guyana’s participation in the CBC Championships in Paramaribo and the federation had approached the Ministry of Social Cohesion and the Ministry of the Presidency for financial support.
He noted that although neither has given a formal response to his request, he is confident that the Government of Guyana will support the athletes.
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