… The show will go on, says Director of Sport Neil Kumar

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Nigel Hinds has issued a stern warning to players, officials and coaches affiliated to the Federation, to stay away from the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) Basketball tournament or face sanction. 
Hinds’ ostensibly threatening message came via email yesterday and stemmed from a fallout between the GABF and the National Sports Commission (NSC), which is run by Director of Sport Neil Kumar.
The GABF president is arguing that the NSC, who is the sole custodian of the Tri-nation games in Guyana, did not get sanction from the National Federation to stage the basketball component of the games which will be hosted in Guyana from August 1 to 3 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The GABF’s position came also after some decision was overturned from an unknown source from the NSC, since initially, after a meeting with Dr Karen Pilgrim an email dated July 7 to Hinds, it was agreed that the GABF will select the coaches (Lugard Mohan and Ann Gordon), as well as the officials and players to represent Guyana at the games.
“The Chief Assistant to the Director of Sport, Mr Gervy Harry could not say whether there was a full meeting of the NSC Board that made the decision to circumvent the GABF. The NSC Board comprises Conrad Plummer, Vidushi Persaud, Peter Green, Alicia Fortune, Sean Richmond, Frank De Abreu, Steve Ninvalle, Hector Edwards, Pradeep Balram and Cheryl Thompson or if the decision was made by the Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Mr. Neil Kumar,” Hinds said.
According to the GABF, in carrying out the statutes of FIBA “All basketball coaches, officials, referees and players are asked not to participate in the 2014 Basketball component of the IGG. Any participation by coaches, officials, referees or players will be subject to disciplinary action from GABF. In addition, those who participate will likely not be supported by GABF for scholarships or participation in clinics, workshops and tournaments in Guyana or overseas.”
In the release, the GABF president also made a call on corporate Guyana to abstain from playing any part of the IGG Basketball and called on parents and head teachers of schools to ensure that extramural basketball activities obtain the approval of the GABF before having their children participate.
“Under the statues of the GABF and by extension FIBA, the approval of GABF is required for any basketball-related activities including clinics, workshop and tournaments in Guyana or the use of any affiliated member/s to participate in basketball activities outside of Guyana. Such approval has not been given to the NSC or any entity appointed by the NSC,” Hinds said.
Meanwhile, when contacted the Director of Sport told Chronicle Sport that regardless of the GABF’s position, the IGG Basketball event will go ahead as planned.
“The show will go on. The IGG is a Government-to-Government games between Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname. The GABF don’t have the authority to stop our games. We tried to work with them (the GABF) but nothing came out of it. So we really don’t have the time. Let them sanction and do whatever they want, our games will be played,” Kumar said.
Ironically, Ann Gordon who coached Guyana’s senior National women’s team at the recent Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championship, is the coach the IGG female team who will be defending their 2013 title.
“Ask the GABF president, why Ann Gordon and others really don’t have time to worry with his threats. We had a meeting and everyone is fully on board. The IGG Basketball will be played, regardless.
“We invited him (Hinds) to a meeting and he didn’t turn up nor had the manners to say anything and now wants to say what? We really don’t have the time. Those children have been training and preparing hard for the IGG and it’s unfair now that the Federation wants to turn up and run things,” Kumar opined.

(By Rawle Toney)