THE Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Abdulla Hamid Basketball Foundation, successfully concluded its 4th annual two-week Summer Camp for boys and girls between the ages 11 and 14 years last Friday at the Mackenzie High School basketball court.Linden-based Ministry of Education Senior Physical Education Officer Mr Lindley Langhorne said that the ministry is pleased to once again host this summer programme and hopes that the targeted children will benefit from this exercise once again.
Experienced former national and FIBA-recognised basketball coach Abdulla Hamid was in charge of the daily sessions Monday through Friday between 09:00hrs and 12:00hrs. He was ably assisted by national female player Shauna Chester and former men’s national captain Steve Neils (Jr).
Langhorne said: “Some four years ago we began our summer camp throughout the Ministry of Education with the Allied Arts Department and we saw it necessary to involve different sports and when we came to Linden the person that was most capable of handling such an activity was Mr Abdulla Hamid. So right away we involved him in this activity and since then we have been having this camp every year during the summer vacation.”
The Senior Physical Education Officer stated: “Now sport is something that takes you throughout life. It is not (as some persons will see it), as just a game, they learn a number of life skills and we work towards their physical fitness and well-being through these activities. We see it necessary for them to be gainfully occupied during their vacation so we always take this chance for them to be part of such an activity.”
Speaking to Chronicle Sport the former national player said, “We have been running the Hamid Basketball Foundation for some 26 years and we see a lot of players from Linden advance into the national team from this camp through the Hamid Basketball Foundation Summer programme over the years.”
Among those players identified by coach Hamid who made it to the top of basketball in Guyana are Auric Tappin, Shaun Chester, Sonia Rodney, Nyota Peters, Steve Neils (Jr) Bruce Davis, Akeem Kanhai.
Then the ministry cane to me and said they have an outreach programme and wanted me to assist and right away I signed on to it. Having the ministry play an integral role in the development of basketball is very good. So we signed on to it and this is our 4th year with them. It can only get better.”
Hamid said he was able to obtain from Mr Gavin Hope of Digicel some football jerseys which he converted to basketball vests.
He also thanked Ms Lavern Fraser for the assistance given in allowing him to outfit some of the many players now attending the camp, as well as the Ministry of Education for providing the snacks and refreshment for the kids.

By Joe Chapman