What started out as a friendly basketball rivalry hoping to gain the respect from each other, has now become a brand. ‘Respect The Game’ – the brainchild of four friends is bringing to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall – three ball games on December 13.

Attorney-at-Law James Bond, sports journalists Rawle Toney, Edison Jefford and marketing rep. Compton Bobb are the faces of ‘Respect The Game’.
Together with the country’s top basketball players, radio and television personalities and other public figures – the unit wants to raise monies for charities this Christmas.
‘The proceeds will go to charities identified by the personalities on the teams to play a part in bringing cheer to those homeless children, those elderly persons who do not have a child or relative to take care of them.
We’ll be taking the giving season to a whole new level,’ said Bond.
Bond said respect is what is missing from our society, a quality the group hopes to foster.
‘From the mannerisms of good morning and good afternoon, entering a workplace and saying good afternoon, how are you doing…we intend to bring it back because respect comes with tolerance, respect comes with appreciation of values, appreciation of how we were brought up and we believe that change cannot come but until we as individuals change outer and remodel our perspective, purpose, principles and positions.’
He continued, The ‘Game’ is a broad concept that includes sports, the hustle, the suave lifestyle, everything.’
‘It’s a call to all of Guyana, sports personalities, and businessmen and women to return respect to the game, whatever you may be, respect is what you get when you give it.’
They hope this event will be the ‘biggest’rivalry of the year event at the Sports Hall on December 13.
RTG is also working along with the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation – drafting two teams from their Schools Pilot Project. On the night St. Roses and St. Stanislaus College will go head to head. The University of Guyana and Qualfon will also play.
At half time of the ‘celebrity’ game between ‘Team Bond’ and ‘Team Toney’, a couple fans will get the opportunity to go one on one with each other – both hoping to gain the ‘respect’ of each other.
Toney said the group is not just about basketball and with future commitments from two of their sponsors, they hope to get involved in other disciplines.
Team Bond already boasts players in Tyrone Hamid, Travis Burnett and Jermaine Slater, while Team Toney has on its bench Ryan Gullen, Chris Williams, Stephon Gillis and Lugard Mohan, Darcel Harris as coach. His public figure is SASOD’s Joel Simpson.
The full team lists are to be announced at a later date and if all goes well, two guest artistes could also be part of the on court battle.
Buddy’s Pools Hall, the chain of Exclusive Styles, Footsteps and Gravity Lounge, Mohammed’s Enterprise, Mark Grimmond Communication, Lystra Adams, The Director of Sports Neil Kumar, HJTV, and 94.1 are among the sponsors.
Malcolm Ferrieria, Nurriyah Gerrard, DJ Casual and Nerissa Pearson are among the radio and TV personalities who will be donning personalised team uniforms.
Tickets for the games cost $2,000.

(By Leeron Brumell)