In an effort to pinpoint Guyana’s top basketball club and jump off competitive club basketball for the year, the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has scheduled the commencement of its highly-anticipated GABF National Club Championships for April 2.
The tournament will be played over the course of three weekends in the month of April at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Games will be contested on Saturdays and Sundays during the first, second and final weekend in the coming month.
The GABF will undertake the task of getting the ball going on division one basketball this year and according to Patterson, while relating details of the tournament at a media briefing on Sunday, more basketball related activities are in the pipeline for the year.
Patterson explained that though they have scheduled the days when the competition will be played, the dates are tentative but the GABF “will receive confirmation on Tuesday or Wednesday [today or tomorrow]”.
Eight of the country’s top basketball clubs, from Georgetown, Linden and Berbice were selected by their respective associations, based on rankings, for the upcoming competition.
The Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association has identified four teams based on their current rankings in the association, while the Linden sub-association has been tasked with selecting their top three clubs and Berbice, their number one team.
The eight teams will be placed in two groups and will only get one shot to move onto the next round of the competition which will be played on a knockout basis.
The names of the clubs participating in the competition in order of ranking in their association and as disclosed by Patterson are: Ravens, Courts Pacesetters, Maccabees and Beepat Scorpions – Georgetown, Victory Valley Royals, Kashif and Shanghai Kings and Pistons – Linden, New Amsterdam Warriors – Berbice.
Group A will comprise of Ravens, Kings, Warriors and Maccabees, while the teams in Group B are: Royals, Scorpions, Pistons and Pacesetters.
Patterson further disclosed the GABF’s hopes of making the competition and annual event.
This year’s tournament is mainly sponsored by Stag and Digicel and the winning team will be presented with a Lien trophy along with a winning trophy and medals. The second and third place teams will also receive trophies and medals, while the fourth place team will receive a plaque.
Their will also be prizes for the most valuable player, best defensive player and best coach and top placing teams will also receive club cash incentives, according to Patterson.
“Our idea is for the clubs to use it to enhance their internal mechanism,” Patterson noted.
Further, Patterson related that the tournament will jump start the GABF preparations for the Caribbean Basketball Championships (CBC), which will be held in Nassau, Bahamas from July 25-30 with the senior male championships and July 31 – August 5, the senior female championships.
“From this tournament we will begin our selection and short listing for CBC,” said Patterson.
He noted that there is a five-member Technical Committee, headed by GABF Vice President, Floyd Levi tasked with short listing the players and coaches for the national team to represent Guyana at the CBC.
According to Patterson, Guyana will be selecting both a senior male and female national team to represent Guyana at the championships.
“We have until the 31st of April to indicate that we will be participating, which we will so be doing and we have until the 18 of April to pay our commitment fee of US$1010 per team.
“This [Club Championships] along with two other tournaments which we will run between now and then [date of CBC] will be our method of short listing and selecting our teams to participate in CBC.”
In relation to the players the GABF is seeking for the National team, Patterson revealed that local players will be the priority.
“On the first instance particularly for the males we are looking for our local players”.
However, Patterson did not rule out the possibility of overseas players on the national team, but reiterated local players will be sought first, adding: “We [GABF] are for the enhancement of basketball in Guyana.”
It was also revealed that players on other teams who are not among the top eight in the upcoming club championships will also have a chance to be selected for national teams at upcoming GABF events prior to the CBC.
