GABF must consider seriously its current outdated constitution

WHEN the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) meets today to discuss plans for 2015, members should spend some time on the guidelines they have to develop basketball in Guyana. 

The Nigel Hinds-led GABF must be cognisant that the statutes of their current Constitution were enacted in 2005 when there was an Extraordinary Ordinary Meeting.
When this was done the aim was to have a new constitution to be in keeping with the regulations ordered by the governing International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
However, it was later realised that that Constitution did not really meet the requirements or serve the basketball world as seen through the eyes of the FIBA.
But it was not that Guyana was in isolation on this, and, subsequently FIBA requested that ‘all National Federations/Associations’ fit certain requirements to be in consonance with their general regulations of governance.
These recommendations on the new regulations were sent to the GABF among other national bodies and were given mandates to reach their new requirements. The past administration of the GABF did attempt to amend their constitution, as directed by FIBA, in 2013 but to date this remains outstanding.
Whether the constitution which was a work in progress at the beginning of 2013 was actually handed over to the Nigel Hinds-led federation in 2014 is anyone’s guess. The federation therefore must align themselves with the FIBA regulations regardless of this in keeping with the FIBA mandate.
When this is done, the governing GABF is likely to avoid the schisms which it faced over the past two years regarding indiscipline. The recent unfortunate developments at last year’s Caribbean Basketball Confederation Senior Championships, maybe, would not have occurred also.
This is because the federation would have also been guided by certain rules that cover eventualities in the administration of the sport that could have been addressed in a more direct way. When this is done there would be no room for anyone to speculate how they should behave when confronted with issues.
FIBA has also placed recommendations on penalties for misconduct by players, coaches, assistant coaches, managers and team members which are to be adopted in the domestic situation in Guyana.
This is an obligation for the federation to put certain measures in place which could have addressed any of the infractions we have witnessed over the recent past.
The Constitution is of a high priority for the federation especially since what obtains in Georgetown with at least two constitutions floating around, one in Linden which needs to be amended and in Berbice where there is still to be one that is constitutionally done for the governing of the game in that region.
The developing of a workable Constitution therefore is imperative if basketball is to be governed in accordance with what FIBA expects of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation.

(By Joe Chapman)

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