SOME of the country’s brightest prospects who gathered at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall over the last two days, will know their fate today with regards to their selection to Guyana’s team for this year’s FIFA U-17 Centrobasket Championship, which will be held in the Dominican Republic from July 26 – 30.

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) had shortlisted 21 players and also made the two-day trials open to players from their affiliated associations.

Former National star-player and point guard, Lugard Mohan was named as Head Coach of the squad, and under his watchful eyes, players were taken through various paces at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, all hoping to be among the 12 that will be representing the ‘Land of Many Waters’ in Santo Domingo.

Following today’s trials, according to the GABF, training sessions will continue with a reduced squad at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on June 17-18, 24-25, July 1-10,after which the team will be encamped from July 14-24 prior to their departure for the Dominican Republic on Tuesday July 25.

Guyana were placed in Group ‘A’ of the tournament and will open their campaign against the Bahamas on July 26, followed by a clash with Puerto Rico on Thursday July 27 and then close off their group-play against Mexico on July 28.

According to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the competition system of the tournament consists of two phases.

In the Group phase, the eight participating teams (Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) will be divided into two equal groups.

Teams will play in round-robin format for three days. The top two teams from each group will advance to the next phase, where the first-placed team of Group A will oppose the second-placed team in Group B and vice versa.

The winners of the semi-finals will advance to the ‘gold medal match’, while the losers will play for the bronze of the continental event.

The top three teams from the tournament will qualify to the FIBA U-18 Americas Championship 2018, to be played in St Catharines, Canada, June 11-17, 2018.

Guyana qualified for the 2017 FIBA Centrobasket U-17 championship by finishing behind the Bahamas at last year’s Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) U-16 tournament which was hosted at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.