The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections of office bearers on Sunday at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) and current president, Abdullah ‘Zico’ Hamid is reportedly not seeking re-election.
Hamid was voted in as president on May 2009 as president but according to reports reaching Stabroek Sport from LABA presidential candidate Rawle Toney, Hamid declared: “I’m done with basketball in Linden.”
“I don’t want anything to do with basketball in Linden anymore. I don’t know man, but the clubs here is either they don’t have our or my vision for the game, or they just don’t care,” Hamid is reported to have said.
A statement from Toney on Tuesday, indicated that he was aware of all the differences and divisions that surround the game in Linden and feels he can make a difference.
The local sports journalist opined that basketball in Linden has been at a standstill since last June and related that he has what it takes to get the defunct association functioning again.
“I feel me being me being a sports journalist over the past five years or so and knowing all that affects the game in Linden I can make a difference. I’m fed up of reporting on what ‘use to happen’ in Linden when it comes to basketball and what ‘we want to happen’ so I want to do this,” Toney stated.
In explaining what encouraged him to pursue the position, Toney noted: “I would frequent Linden and would be steadily asked ‘why don’t you give it a shot since you always have something to say?’. Those words would hit home especially knowing that’s where I got my little ‘know how’ about the game from and I must say that I’ve learned a lot from Hamid as a player coming up.”
The 29-year-old sports journalist said that its common for the head of an association to be an individual that’s influentially attached to a business entity but he believes he is more than capable of getting things done.
“I know its common, especially in Linden, that its president or head be affiliated to some business but I didn’t just wake up and say well ‘I want to be LABA President’ I’ve put a lot of thought into it. Even before, some very powerful people have asked me to give it a shot and pledged their support to me if I go into office or given a chance at it. Clubs in linden have one problem, they just basically want to play, but while I can make that happen, there’s also my aim to develop a plan to further sustain the game on its own,” Toney explained.
He continued: “I was told by a colleague that I will better serve the game by continuing to be a sports journalist, and he gave me his reasons why, and he has a point but I feel deep down inside, I can make a difference.”
The former junior national player also mentioned in his statement that the prolonged repairs to the MSC hard court and the upgrading of basketball in Linden will be his main focus if he is elected for the LABA presidential post.
“It’s one thing not having a venue, but it’s another when you don’t know when you will. I’m in talks with some businesses presently who have pledged their support for the upgrade of the Amelia’s Ward basketball court and also work on Christianburg hard court which to my knowledge can still facilitate games, matter of fact, both venues will,” Toney said.
