The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) is the latest national federation to compliment the government on the sports allocation in the 2023 national budget.
On Monday, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh disclosed that this year’s the sports sector will be allocated $4.3B.
The GABF in a press release praised the government for the allocation which almost doubled that of last year’s.
“The Guyana Basketball Federation (GABF) commends the Government of Guyana on the record-breaking fund allocation to the transformation of sports in Guyana in the 2023 National Budget,” stated the release from the GABF.
The GABF stated that the increase in funds allocated for the development of sports will directly benefit basketball through the National Basketball Academy and the rehabilitation of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).
“Improvement to the CASH will now enable Guyana to bid for the hosting rights for both International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup and AmeriCup Qualifiers, which will give both Guyana and the GABF opportunities to earn revenue through sports tourism and event ticket sales, along with giving national players the opportunity to represent Guyana at home in a modernized sports facility,” the release stated.
The GABF said that the classification of basketball as one of the 12 core sports by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Charles Ramson Jr. and the National Sports Commission (NSC) demonstrated the ministry’s seriousness in partnering with the GABF to develop, grow and promote basketball and 3×3 basketball in Guyana.
“The GABF has benefited via the implementation of the National Basketball Academy and funding for our senior and junior national basketball and 3×3 basketball teams during 2022,” the release stated.
This year, representative national teams will represent the Golden Arrowhead at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 Caribbean Qualifer, the FIBA Women’s Centrobasket Championship and theFIBA Centrobasket Qualifiers for U15 and U17 boys and girls, the release stated.
The Guyana senior men’s national team won the last FIBA AmeriCup Caribbean Qualifer in 2018 in Suriname and the GABF feels that it is important that the NSC has a strategy to unite sports through a shared vision where all will have the opportunity, motivation and access to play sports.
“This strategy is based on research and best practices with input through dialogue, planning sessions and consultation with national sports federations and successful sports programmes that offers actionable ideas for national federations/associations, coaches, officials, communities, schools, parents and policymakers to support sport participation for all,” the release ended.
