In this year of the London Olympics there is no indication that Guyana is anywhere near being represented in basketball.
While the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) and the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (both sub-associations of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation) have made commendable moves to start the year by forming new leagues in order to get their players adequate competition, where does basketball in Guyana go from here?
It is expected that the formation of these two leagues will improve the standard of play among teams affiliated with the associations.
However, moving the sport forward is a totally different issue if GABF does not become more proactive in pushing for the betterment of the sport.
In Guyana basketball at the senior level has been in a stagnated state with last year being one of the worst in light of limited competition and one coaching course.
Although the federation was founded since 1957 it is yet to send a team to the biggest sporting stage in the world.
The national team was expected to do well by the David Patterson-led administration at the Caribbean Basketball Championships last year. However, the team failed miserably, losing their five games by double digit margins, and throwing away the opportunity to gain an Olympic berth.
In addition while the players are expected to get their game right on game day, it is impossible to blame a team that was put together on the fly with no adequate time to gel and play together as a unit.
It is not to say that the GABF did not try to get the team competition ready but it proves that the lack of competition locally was a main factor for such a breakdown.
Meanwhile as other associations are preparing to invest in their athletes with the aim of having them qualify for the 2012 Olympics, the GABF is not in that league since they have never qualified for an Olympic berth in their 55 years of existence.
While both the LABA and GABA are seemingly on the road to improve the standard of competitive basketball, the parent association needs to foster the overall improvement of basketball in Guyana to become worthy of an Olympics berth.
