Colts Under-23s experience basketball walk off

By Daniel Haynes
THE Burnham Court played host to the U-23 knockout tournament this past weekend with controversy gripping yet another game of basketball.The three-day tournament final came to a disappointing, premature end with Dynas Ravens walking off the court with 5 minutes left in the second quarter. This is the second time that a team have walked off the court while playing the Colts.
Earlier in the tournament, both teams battled and won close games in the semi-finals to secure their place in the final.
Last Saturday, Colts had defeated Eagles by 1 point in a game that went down to the wire, with Colts winning 73-72 while the Ravens had also battled Pacesetters beating them by 3 points in a game that was very physical.
An exciting game was expected from both teams but it never got the finish it deserved because of the walk-off.
At this point Ravens basketball U-23 coach Marlon Rodrigues received his first technical for having 1st division team members on the supporting bench with him.
Rodrigues was then called to the court by the main match official Oswald Benjamin and, in a manner unbecoming of a coach, he disrespected the official. He was then cautioned a second time to have the team member removed from the bench.
However, once again he protested and raised the issue of Pacesetters supporter Stephon Gillis being within the Ravens bench the night before in the Ravens versus Pacesetters game. He was then given a second technical by Benjamin and this resulted in his team being called off the court.
This time, the referees blew off the game and awarded it to Colts by default. At this point the score was 29-19 in favour of the Colts. This walk off is the second to happen in a final game and the second time in a Colts game.
In an interview, Oswald Benjamin who whistled the second technical explained what occurred.
“There was a violation against a member of Ravens Ball Club who was standing in the coach’s area of Ravens. My counterpart decided to stop the game and asked for the player’s removal to which there was refusal,” said the official.
He continued, “As a result of that my counterpart Mr Dexter Douglas instituted a technical against the coach, I called the coach of Ravens and asked him to comply with the rules since having a non-player or spectator at the bench is not allowed by law. He refused to comply and subsequently took his team off the court.”
Vice-president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Michael Singh, who was also present at the final said action would be taken on the guilty parties to ensure that what already seems to be a trend does not become endemic.”
The game was organised to give Next Generation basketball stars exposure, according to Singh, who added, “At the moment there is a house cleaning going on and they will ensure that there is discipline adhered to for the benefit of Guyana’s basketball,” finished Singh. He also alluded to plans to give the Colts U-23 side their trophy and medals after the final of ‘Road to Mecca’.
This walk-off comes less than a week before the Colts Raiders rematch on April 23.