By Rawle Toney
It was heralded as the return to competitive basketball at the outdoor Burnham Court by the newly-elected executives of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Associa-tion (GABA) but after the sudden death of 21-year-old Courts Pacesetters player Kevin Worrell yesterday the future of the GABA’s outdoor basketball season was very much in doubt.
The entire basketball fraternity in Georgetown was in mourning yesterday afternoon following the tragic death of Worrel of 63 First Street Agricola, East Bank Demerara.
The incident happened during the third match of the GABA’s basketball retreat which entailed a fun-day and knock-out tournament combined.
At the time Worrell’s team, Courts Pacesetters were playing against Maccabees Basketball Club and were enjoying a commanding lead in the second-half of the game.
Worrell, a power forward, was just about to establish himself in a defensive position after his team had scored a basket at the opposite end of the court when he fell to ground and began panting for air.
As the referees and the other players on the court stood motionless a quick-thinking Trevor Rose, president of GABA, who was standing on the sidelines, ran on to the court and began to attend to the player.
As the player fought desperately for air Rose was seen trying to pump his chest
Worrell lay on the court for approximately 15 minutes before team coach Bobby Cadogan and another player transported him to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
According to Cadogan, he was not aware if the player was alive or dead since he was more focussed on getting the player to the hospital as quickly as possible.
However, when they arrived at the hospital Worrell was pronounced dead.
During this time the game had continued as normal and although playing with only four players,
Courts Pacesetters went on to win the game.
The tournament, though, was immediately called off when it was learnt that Worrell had succumbed and the players and some spectators then rushed to the hospital.
Stabroek Sports caught up with Worrell’s father Colin and mother Rhonda Johnson at the hospital.
Speaking to reporters, his father described his son as an easy-going and very respectful individual who loved the game of basketball. He said that he shared a close relationship with his son even though his son lived with his mother in Agricola.
According to Colin Worrell, his son never had any medical problems and had always been healthy growing up.
Worrel’s mother was too emotional to speak to reporters.
Worrell was the second of five children and was described by everyone as someone who really loved basketball. He had been a member of the Courts Pacesetters Basketball Club for the past three years.
Chairman and founder member of Courts Pacesetters basketball Club, Dennis Clark, said that Worrell was one of the most respected players on the team as he was respectful to everyone regardless of their ages.
Clarke added that he too never knew the player to have any medical condition since he was always running to practice which he only last attended on Saturday and seemed completely normal.
Cadogan said that Worrell was a member of the club’s third-division team and was always one of his favorite players who, he felt, had great potential in the sport.
Cadogan added that the player seemed completely normal at the team’s last practice session on Saturday.
Rose commented that the tragedy was a shock to him and he said he was confused at the moment as he had known the player over the years.
He said that when the news reached him that the player had died his mind went haywire.
