– GABA league to continue outdoors

By Floyd Christie
The fork has been dug into the soil and work has commenced on the first phase of the long-awaited Burnham Court rehabilitation project.

According to president of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA), Trevor Rose, speaking to Stabroek Sport via telephone last evening, rehabilitation work on Georgetown’s main outdoor basketball facility began last Wednesday and is centered on the facility’s lighting and the backboards for both rings.

This is a part of the first stage of the rehabilitation project which also entails the extension of the bleachers for patrons, players’ benches and an officials’ box.

Rose is pressing to get the facility, which has been in a deplorable condition for some time, up to playing standard as soon as possible, as his focus is to venture outdoors with the restart of the GABA Open and Third Division Leagues.

Outdoor basketball in Georgetown has been dormant for a long period but Rose hopes to revive this after the first phase of the rehabilitation project has been completed  owing to the fact that the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall will be unavailable for use by the GABA until late September.

Rose has been pushing for the restart of the league which was first paused due to the hosting of Mashramani activities at the sports hall. This postponement was followed shortly after by another hiatus for the hosting of the Mackeson National Super Ward Basketball Championships.

Since then due to the staging of boxing cards, table tennis and hockey tournaments, among other events, Rose had been unable to finalize an available date for the use of GABA’s basketball facility of choice for the hosting of the tournaments.

Rose was reluctant to disclose indepth details about the work currently in progress for the Burnham Court rehabilitation project, but said he plans to divulge further information at a press conference which is scheduled to be held at the outdoor facility on Thursday.