Former national basketball player and Bounty Colts stalwart Dane ‘College’ Kendall unfortunately passed away on Saturday at the age of 51.
This was confirmed by Michael Singh, President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) and former Bounty Colts chief. Kendall, who also played first- division football for the Georgetown Football Club (GFC), donned Guyana’s colours following international tours in 1991 [Jamaica], 1991 [Suriname], 1994 [Trinidad and Tobago], 1994 [Barbados] and 1996 [Trinidad and Tobago].
His father, Gavin Kendal, was also a former national basketball player.
Singh during an invited comment said, “He was a foundation piece after Coachman (Phillip George) died. He never really wanted to get into politics from an administration aspect but he did because he saw the potential and the need. He would assist players like Stanton Rose and Dominic Gladstone, basically the out-of-town players he would let them stay by him. He was always selfless, gave away sneakers and balls and was the linchpin between Colts and Bounty Farm due to his job. He was an integral part of the club gaining the sponsorship. He will be missed.”
According to Singh, “He was always overlooked, always the underdog. Usually many talented players would start their
careers earlier in their teens but Dane was an adult who started his career in the 80s and 90s. In his rookie season I believe in 1991 he was already an adult who started playing third division and went through the ranks before making the national team. Stats is not something that we usually keep locally but he was a double-double every night.”
“He wasn’t flamboyant but he did the little things well and had fundamentals which he always told the younger players. He influenced many players like the late Andrew `Mr Dun’ Ifill and Lorenzo Withrite, both who grew up under him and grew into major forces on the national scene. Even as an adversary, he also improved Remington Ram and Lancelot Loncke”, Singh added.
Former GABF President and long serving sport administrator Nigel Hinds said, “When I heard the news, I felt like a part of my life experience went away with Dane because he was such a competitor and one I would call the most underrated player. You only realized his values on the stat sheet when you saw that he had the most rebounds and points. All together he was a great athlete and person. We have lost someone very special in the basketball fraternity,” said Hinds.
Junior Hercules, head-coach of the senior men’s programme said, “In my little interaction with him, he seemed to be a very humble individual. I was very surprised at his passing, the fraternity has lost a good contributor to the sport. My humblest sympathies go out to his family and the Bounty Colts organization.”
