After spending over a year suspended from all basketball related activities, the suspension on national forward Dwayne ‘Sugar’ Roberts has been officially lifted by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF).
Roberts who last played for Retrieve Raiders locally, was suspended along with several other members of the team following their off court misconduct during the 2014 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships in the British Virgin Islands.
At the time, the other suspended male players were Rawle Marshall, Andrew Ifill, Shane Webster, Ryan Gullen, Andre De Florimonte, Keron McKenzie, Gordon Klaiber, Ryan Stephany, Akeem Kanhai, Shelroy Thomas and Ray Victor.
The lone female player suspended was Necosia Mitchell. The suspensions and fines of the male players by the GABF was due to the alleged refusal of the players to return their team uniforms and warm-up suits upon the request by the federation management.
Roberts was suspended for one year from all basketball related activities and fined $80,000. Exclusive of Marshall and Ifill, the suspensions on the other players have been lifted.
According to a press release from the GABF signed by President Nigel Hinds, “The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) after several meetings; including meeting with Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) and Retrieve Raiders Basketball Club has unanimously decided to reinstate Mr. Dwayne Roberts to play basketball; after the following occurred”.
It further said “1. Mr. Roberts served a ban for at least one year. The ban was in effect from August 1, 2014 and was fixed for a period of one year. 2. Mr. Roberts paid a fine of $60,000 in September 2015. 3. GABF uniforms were returned to the Federation by Mr. Roberts in March of 2015”.
The document further noted “Other additional disciplinary fines instituted in July 2014 against Mr. Roberts were waived by the Federation. The GABF welcomes Mr. Roberts’s eligibility to represent his Club, LABA and Guyana – with immediate effect”.
“The GABF looks forward to Mr. Robert’s conducting himself in a manner that uplifts the image and development of basketball in Guyana” the document added.
