A year of shutdown and networking along with personal and national triumphs

Dec 31, 2020 Sports

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2020 Basketball Year in Review…

Kaieteur News – Patience is a virtue that everyone in Guyana’s basketball has needed in 2020. The Guyana basketball stars saw their season cancelled a week prior to its start. Patience in quarantine has also been mandatory. Some talents were still active, like Anthony Moe who was able to play in the Nicaraguan league – Liga Superior de Baloncesto (LSB) where he averaged 20.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.1 assist for the UNAN Leon basketball club that finished third.
National standouts Stanton Rose made his debut in the NCAA after transferring to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, USA along with Kevon Wiggins transferring to Lamar College in Lamar, Colorado, USA.
Local players needed patience too, as the pandemic cancelled seasons at all levels.
And, with the absence of play, the GABF took advantage of the opportunity to network and collaborate with peers and partners in multiple virtual meetings, clinics, and workshops.
Members of the Guyana basketball fraternity attended virtual clinics and workshops offered by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the Central America and Caribbean Basketball Confederation and the Guyana Olympic Association. A variety of topics were presented by experts across the world with focus on National Federation development. Topics included media and marketing, coaches and game officials’ fundamentals, event management, sports psychology, anti-doping awareness, Women in Basketball, digital assets, local government partnership and community relations to name a few.
As part of the Stay Ready campaign, the federation completed three virtual activities namely, the National Skills Challenge, Tricks for Kicks – Trick Shot Challenge and the Uniform Design Challenge.
The Guyana U17 men and women’s national teams received a special invitation to compete in the virtual FIBA World U17 Skills Challenge but had to withdraw from the challenge due to COVID-19 shutdown. The winning team from the Antilles 3×3 National Qualifier attended the IBF Antilles 3×3 Hoops Final – February 28 – March 2, 2020 in Guadeloupe. The 3-day event was made up of a Youth Leadership and Life Skills Workshop and a 3×3 mixed nations basketball tournament. Participants were able to learn about the IBF’s Basketball for Good mindset and encouraged to think about how Basketball can be used as a tool to influence positive change in their lives and in their communities. Guyana’s Timothy Richmond received the male ‘Basketball for Good’ award.
The GABF signed a five-year partnership with Genius Sports. Genius Sports will provide a digital platform including FIBA LiveStats, FIBA Organizer, Game Center, FIBA LiveStats Widget, and access to the FIBA Statistician Network. The partnership is valued at US$182,000.
The first virtual AGM was held with focus of implementing its new strategy, prioritising the empowering of sub-associations, Women in Basketball and enlarging the GABF family.
On a positive note, Guyana received their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifier ticket, where the senior men’s national team is awaiting an appeal decision from the National COVID-19 Task Force to restart training in 2021. The first FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifier is schedule for 17-21 February, 2021 in El Salvador. The GABF also qualified for the FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup, with the first qualifier scheduled for April 2021.
Sileena Arjune was accepted to the FIBA Americas Adelante Forum for Women in Basketball. The Women’s Forum comprises of female participants from thirty-eight (38) National Federations from the Americas. Workshops were hosted with topics such as Youth Development by Dawn Smyth, NBA; Officials Development by Nadine Crowley, Canadian Sports Board; Women in leadership by Cynthis Marshall, Dallas Mavericks CEO; Marketing your project by Andrea Perez, VP Jordan Brand; and How to be an effective sports leader by Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General to name a few.
During the break, Sileena was placed in a cohort with colleagues from Aruba, Dominica Republic and Guatemala, with similar interest of 3×3 development.
Looking to 2021, the GABF intends to execute all 2020 cancelled events with focus on 3×3, youth and women’s basketball. 2021 FIBA events include the FIBA Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifiers, FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup Qualifier – CBC, FIBA 3×3 Nations League, Centrobasket U15 and U17 Championships, and the CBC U14 and U16 Championships. Non-qualifying regional events include the Inter Guiana Games, South American Games (3×3), Caribbean Games (3×3), and the IBF Antilles 3×3 Finals.

 

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