The International Federation of Association Basketball (FIBA), has officially warned that the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) is yet to obtain the mandatory eligibility to participate in any 3×3 National Team Tournaments in 2021.
This was disclosed in a release from FIBA. According to the correspondence, “FIBA would like to inform you that your federation is not yet eligible to participate with your 3×3 national teams in any FIBA 3×3 Official National Team Competitions in 2021. Your NF [National Federation] has not yet met the eligibility criteria that are: A minimum of three (3) events of FIBA 3×3 Competitions in your territory in the twelve (12) months prior to 1 November 2020. Only competitions with a minimum category/division size of four (4) teams are considered for eligibility purposes; and a valid 3×3 e-learning certification on 1 November 2020.”
The release further said, “Both criteria must be met until the latest 1 November 2020. NF that do not fulfil these eligibility criteria by then will not be considered eligible for participation in any FIBA 3×3 Official National Team Competition such as FIBA 3×3 World Cups, Zone Cups & the U23 Nations League.”
Meanwhile, Junior Hercules, the GABF National 3×3 Coordinator said, “Realistically we had only one of the two requirements within our control, and that was the certification of the official for the e-learning platform which is really someone certified to create and adjudicate the events. The second requirement was largely out of our control with respect to staging the required events before the November 1st deadline. While I am not ruling it out completely, a lot of things need to happen before then. It would mean that we would have had to get approval from the authorities by September at the latest before we can initiate any of those events.”
He further stated that while FIBA has granted its member associations the approval for the resumption of the sport, the unavailability of Guyana’s solitary controlled environment, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the continued increase in Covid-19 cases, has rendered the resumption difficult at the moment.
Hercules added, “Bearing in mind FIBA authorized its members that they can resume with the guidance of their respective local authorities but for that to happen it has to be done in a controlled environment and we only have one which is the sports hall and that’s under lockdown at the moment.”
According to Hercules, the warning of possible exclusion from international 3×3 tournaments is a major setback and disappointment as the format presents the most realistic avenue for participation at various major tournaments.
He declared, “It’s a big disappointment because of the margins of the format and the fact that this format provides the most realistic path to the Olympics for Guyana. 5×5 or the traditional version is a mountain but 3×3 is much more realistic and provides a greater chance to qualify for international events like the Olympics.”
According to Hercules, he is unaware if the GABF will attempt to remedy the ongoing situation, adding, “Even if there is an attempt to fix the problem, certain things will have to be available such as approval to utilize the controlled venue which is the Sports Hall and the availability of players.”
