… Former national player/coach vows to continue tradition 

IT’S considered one of the country’s oldest Basketball summer camps and this year the programme, carried by former national player and coach Abdullah ‘Zico’ Hamid, will be celebrating 29 years of existence. “Well, someone needs to look out for the game and preserve the future of the game for the youths, so even if I have to do it alone, I will.” Hamid told Chronicle Sport yesterday. The programme is held this year under the banner, “Teach them now, not later”. This year, Hamid said he’s catering to approximately 50 players at various ages, but at present, his register stands at 32, adding, “even though I

say I’m only accepting a certain number, sometimes I end up going way over, because parents will reach out to me and I wouldn’t say no.”Hamid started this year’s programme last weekend and will hold his clinics Monday to Fridays, involving various age groups. Why continue? Hamid was asked. He replied, “Somebody has to do it. When I look around Linden, and the number of players that I would’ve helped to teach the game or either help their game over the years. I often say if I wasn’t there, what would’ve happened to those players? Twenty-nine years is a long time and as long as I have life, I would continue.”Popularly known as ‘Zico’, a nickname given to him because of his love for former Brazilian great Arthur ‘Zico’ Coimbra, Hamid made reference to the Chris Bowman-led Youth Basketball Guyana and his former teammate Lugard Mohan, stating that “they have done a fantastic job with the youths and we need more like them.” “Basketball needs more Chris Bowmans and Lugard Mohans, because if people like we don’t step up, what would happen to the future of basketball in Guyana,” said Hamid. He continued, “There’s no help coming to me for this over the years. It’s just myself and a few very close friends would pitch in and I’m always grateful for their support.”To his credit, Hamid would’ve helped to mould the skills of several of the country’s top players coming out of Linden, thanks to his summer camp. Meanwhile, Hamid said this year, the programme will culminate with a skill challenge and an East versus West contest, allowing the players to showcase their talent to their parents.