A new executive body was elected to run the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) yesterday afternoon when GABA held its Annual General Meeting and elections at the National Gymnasium.
Elected to the helm of GABA for the next two-year term is Procurement and Operations Executive of Banks DIH Limited, David Carto.
Carto defeated the lone other nominee for the post, former GABA president, Trevor Rose.
Carto, a pre-elections favorite for the position, secured nine votes from a 12-member panel of voters comprised of representatives from 12 of Georgetown’s basketball clubs.
Only one member of the panel voted in favour of Rose, while two persons abstained.
Prior to the elections, which was the last item on the agenda, representatives of the basketball clubs in attendance expressed their disappointment with the previous administration and posted many questions to the outgoing GABA executives pertaining to accountability and the finances of the association.
Leading up to yesterday’s AGM, Rose had stated that the treasurer’s report (detailing the financial history and current financial status for his administration) was in the process of being prepared for yesterday’s AGM.
But it was revealed by Rose at the AGM yesterday that the treasurer’s report had not been prepared, fuelling more questions and debate.
While delivering the president’s report and also in a bid for re-election, Rose stated that he and his executives had done a lot for basketball in comparison to the position the game was in prior his election as GABA president in September 2008.
He noted that nothing was being done for basketball in the period before his administration took office.
He recounted what had been done by his association citing the staging of many tournaments including the Mackeson Super Ward Champions held last year.
The former president further stated that under his administration a better relationship was established with the corporate community, helping GABA to acquire funding for various tournaments and projects such as the Burnham court rehabilitation project.
“Despite the challenges, basketball in Georgetown was placed on the right footing for the two years I was president,” said Rose.
However, the conviction in his address did not resonate to representatives of the clubs on the voting panel as the majority opted for Carto.
Carto holds positions as player and president of the Georgetown Masters Basketball Association and president of the Banks DIH Sports Club.
In his address to the gathering, Carto stated that the next step the new executive will embark on will be to work with Rose and the outgoing executives to ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities.
He said that he will be meeting with his executives shortly, then with representatives of basketball clubs in Georgetown to identify issues affecting basketball and set an agenda to deal with those issues.
Other members of the newly elected executive body are: President of the Knights Basketball Club and former junior national vice captain, Kester Gomes (Vice President), Army Major and president of the Guyana Defence Force basketball club, Kenlloyd Roberts (Secretary), Manager of Services and Support at Scotia Bank, Vibert Jones (Treasurer) and former female senior national player and president of the Pepsi Sonics basketball club, Merle Chalmers (Assistant Secretary/Treasurer).
