DESPITE Guyana’s male and female team missing out on a podium finish, Nigel Hinds, president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), believes that the hosting of the International Basketball Foundation (IBF) Antilles 3×3 Championships has solidified his federation’s readiness to take on regional tournaments.

Barbados won both the male and female categories of the tournament that caters for U-18 players, and according to Hinds, the investment was worthwhile.

“We’ve reached a stage where Guyana is seen as a success story in terms of hosting international basketball and this tournament that just completed, is consistent with the perception and the reality in the Caribbean that we (Guyana) are capable hosting any tournament,” Hinds said.

Hinds admitted that while Guyana didn’t get the desired outcome which was to keep the trophies at home, he’s comfortable with the end result, since he believes that both teams competed and showed the desire to win.

Meanwhile, Hinds was grateful for the work done by Guyanese Patrick Haynes, Caribbean Basketball Confederation’s (CBC) Financial and Marketing vice-president, adding that “he has been the one offering a lot of support to the GABF, encouraging us to participate in every regional tournament possible and today I can say it has paid off because we won the senior Caribbean Championship.”

Haynes, touching on the tournament, said “Sport has the power to unite our communities – both the IBF and the CBC are dedicated and committed to developing and promoting the game of basketball, bringing people together, uniting our communities, and making basketball the most popular sport in our communities.”

The impressive Dunk contest crowned the Saint-Lucian Jean Pierre Frederick while the Skills Contest was dominated by Guadeloupe’s Raymi Coueta.

The Leadership Workshop was held over three days alongside the 3×3 tournament. The workshop, delivered by UK charity, The Change Foundation, helped the players discover their leadership style and develop their leadership skills to empower them to use basketball for good in their communities.

The three days were inclusive of interactive basketball drills, leadership activities and discussions about using them to create social change.

The players were able to interact with one another as peers and develop new relationships as team mates even though they are opponents on court.

They practised public speaking skills, the art of negotiation and influencing as well as understanding the importance of strategy, decision-making and inclusion in becoming a true leader.