After one of its worst years last year, basketball is set for positive changes this year, and special assistance is being sought from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), according to president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) David Patterson.
He has also indicated that the federation will be focusing on a youthful core for the national team this year in order to secure a better future for the national team.
“I’ll be honest, our team is an aging team, the average age on our teams last year was around 28 and we need to target young players this year… we have to set up the infrastructure to get younger players onboard, it is something we have to address this year to ensure a better future,” Patterson declared.
In a telephone interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday, Patterson looked at how he saw the current state of basketball locally.
“I am pleased that the associations have started their programmes so it’s a step in the right direction they have made this year. Last year was a bit of a disappointment because things couldn’t happen for them because of various reasons but it’s good to see them moving forward and with the help of the federation we can move forward from here,” Patterson said.
In order to develop the sport locally, Patterson also revealed some of the plans that the federation has in store for the basketball fraternity this year while also stating that they will be looking to improve their administration with help from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
“For basketball to develop locally we must have more basketball being played locally, so we have to get things organized for more basketball to be played locally. We will also be looking to improve our administration and we have asked FIBA for assistance with it and officials from FIBA should be here this year to help us improve in that aspect,” Patterson noted.
In addition the federation, according to Patterson, plans to host various programmes and clinics to improve the standard of basketball along with the standard of officiating in Guyana.
“We have four proposals for a national tournament and we want to get that on stream with the clubs, we also want to host another coaching clinic which has been approved from a meeting I attended last weekend by CARICOM.
“With the women basketball team, there is a tournament in Antigua this March and we want them to attend the tournament which we have already indicated to Antigua about and this will be for both junior and senior female teams. There is also a referee’s clinic we want to set up and hopefully we can have a certified FIBA referee when that is over,” Patterson told Stabroek Sport in the telephone interview.
Moving to the ever sore relations between the federation and the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) which runs school basketball in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC) but is not affiliated with the federation, Patterson indicated that until they can see the mandate of the YBG, the possibility exists that there will be no relations between the two entities.
“We have to see their mandate but right now they are just a separate organization under the ministry doing good work and as long as the mandate is in line with the federation we will consider,” Patterson stated.
Meanwhile with 2012 being an Olympic year and Guyana not being ready for the London games, Patterson indicated to this newspaper that he is targeting the 2016 Olympics in Brazil for Guyana to have their first basketball Olympic berth.
“We are trying to build a team for the next Olympics in Brazil, our neighbours, but we have a long way to go and we will see what happens,” Patterson concluded.
