By Rawle Toney

ACCORDING to Patrick Haynes, General Secretary of Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), Guyana’s participation at the 2021 FIBA 3X3 AmeriCup will be a good way to boost the return of basketball locally.
Guyana was confirmed among the 25 National Federations named by FIBA, to compete at the 2021 FIBA 3X3 AmeriCup which is scheduled for November 2021.

Speaking with Chronicle Sport yesterday, Haynes, who is also the lone West Indian on FIBA’s 3X3 Commission, said the GABF is excited about the opportunity to once again be on the global stage of the sport, this time, in the shorter format.

Haynes explained that their participation in the main event or qualifying event will be determined by the country’s ranking-points, which are only accumulated based on the number of players and events hosted in the short-listed countries.

“Regardless, if it’s the main event, or the qualifying event, Guyana will be ready for either of those competitions,” Haynes related.
Haynes called the Land of Many Waters’ involved at the FIBA event as “a good look for Guyana,” adding that “I feel very energised with the news that we have qualified, and I’m working tirelessly with the rest of the GABF execs and the 3X3 personnel that we have employed.”

The FIBA 3X3 Commission, held its first meeting in March of 2020, at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, FIBA Headquarters.
Former NBA great Andrei Kirilenko from Russia is the Chairman of the Commission, while Uganda’s Ambrose Tashobya is his Deputy.
The commission held discussions on a wide range of topics which included an update on the growth of the FIBA 3X3 World Tour and the entire FIBA 3X3 competition network, the qualification system for national team events, the FIBA 3X3 Federation Ranking and women in 3X3 – one of FIBA’s priority strategic pillars.

During its life cycle, the Commission was tasked to develop recommendations for improvement to 3X3 governance and organisation and for the introduction of new official 3X3 competitions, to give advice on the allocation of official 3X3 competitions, to be responsible for training, examining and implementing the requested qualification of all 3X3 officials and to draw up the text of the FIBA 3X3 Basketball Rules, draft amendments to these rules for adoption by the Central Board, give the official interpretation of the rules and solve doubtful cases or cases not clearly covered by the rules themselves.

They were also tasked to study the regulations governing all 3X3 competitions and to recommend changes to such regulations and to monitor the state of 3X3 around the world and to make recommendations for the development of 3X3.