JUST when it seemed that sports journalist Rawle Toney was the lone candidate for the presidency of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA), Guyana Defence Force Captain Eon Murray has been approached by a number of clubs in Linden to run for the top basketball position in the mining town.
The Linden Amateur Basketball Association holds its Annual General Meeting and Biennial Elections today at the Linden Technical Institute, starting  at 13:00 h.
Murray emphasised that he has a competent team to bring about the necessary change in fortunes for the game and on Friday disclosed that he will be contesting the presidency with a team of persons with one common goal to restore basketball to what it once was in Linden.
Toney had signalled his intention to run for the post as incumbent president Abdullah Hamid has decided not to run again after being elected in 2009.
Murray is no stranger to the sport and was president of the Patriots Basketball Club.
His reasons for accepting the challenge to head  LABA comes at a time when the sport faces many challenges.
In essence the theme of Murray’s campaign is ‘Restoration’. Once elected, Murray and his team of officers from a number of clubs, who have thrown their support behind Murray to lead the administration, aim to restore basketball as one of the major sports in Linden.
Without unveiling his total 10-point plan for basketball Murray said their focus will be on among other things:
(1) Bring a speedy end to the stalemate in the playing of basketball in Linden
(2) Revamp the current LABA Constitution to deal with the modern-day challenges of the game and in keeping with the International Basketball Federation’s guidelines for basketball administration
(3) Seek to decentralise the sport to engage the community’s involvement and have more basketball hard courts ready for competition around Linden
(4) To ensure there is basketball competition at every level of the game
(5) Develop a healthy relationship with Government, Private Businesses, other associations and GABF
Among the names disclosed to be in Murray’s camp are Joe Chapman, Haslyn Graham, Usi Francis, Rowena DeJonge and Bryan Lewis.