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Walls eyes AmeriCup breakthrough for Guyana
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur Sports – Newly appointed Guyana Men’s National Basketball Team Head Coach Alan Walls wasted little time settling into his new role, arriving in Guyana last Friday and immediately getting down to business as preparations intensify for the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers, scheduled for July 8-12 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Scenes from Guyana’s first training session ahead of the AmeriCup qualification tournament.
With Guyana set to host the prestigious 10-team tournament, Walls has already begun evaluating local talent and laying the foundation for what he hopes will be a successful qualification campaign.
The experienced Canadian-American coach said his immediate objective is clear: secure one of the two available spots that will advance to the next stage of the AmeriCup qualification process in November.
Having observed players during the opening stages of training, Walls expressed optimism about the talent pool available to him, while stressing that team chemistry and commitment will be just as important as individual ability.
Walls said he’s looking to have a solid team, pointing out “you can have a great group of individual players, but that’s not good as a team of lesser talent. So, I’m not looking at the individual talent, but I’m looking at good attitude and coachability. Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work.”
That philosophy has been a hallmark of Walls’ coaching career, which spans more than three decades and includes assignments across 17 countries on five continents. Throughout his extensive career, he has played a significant role in developing national basketball programmes, building competitive teams, and mentoring athletes at both the grassroots and elite levels.
Coach Alan Walls during his first training session in Guyana.
His appointment represents a major statement of intent from the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF), which is seeking to elevate the country’s profile within regional basketball while pursuing qualification for the 2029 FIBA AmeriCup.
Walls arrives in Guyana with an impressive international résumé. Most recently, he served as Head Coach of the Malta Men’s National Team, guiding the programme to a runner-up finish at the 2022 FIBA Championship for Small Countries and a silver medal at the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe.
His experience at the national team level extends well beyond Malta. Walls has previously held head coaching positions with the national teams of El Salvador, Mongolia, and Kenya, earning a reputation as a respected programme builder capable of developing teams in diverse basketball environments.
In addition to his national team appointments, he has worked as a consultant for the basketball federations of Turkey, Romania, and Palestine, providing expertise in player development, coaching education, and programme management.
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