By Charwayne Walker

GUYANA’S FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Pre-Qualifier has just gotten tougher with the addition of Jamaica to Group E.
The Land of the Majestic Kaieteur Falls have only defeated Reggae Boyz once in ten FIBA-sponsored Senior international matches.
The two countries first clashed at the Senior International level in August 1981. The venue was the National Sports Hall in Georgetown, and the event was the inaugural 1981 CARICOM Basketball Championship.
The boys from Reggae country won that semi-final clash 81-68. Centre Wayne Sappleton had a game-high 26 points, John Bailey scored 20 points, for Guyana, the late Stanislaus Hadmon top-scored with 22 points, skipper Hewley Harry 14 points, James Brusche 12 points and Keith Alexander 9 points.
The next time the countries met at the senior international level was 1985 in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Jamaica won that CARICOM clash 70-58.The boys from Kingston were victorious the following year August 1986, when the two teams clashed in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Jamaica winning 86-67.
The Reggae dominance continued at the 1988 CARICOM Championship hosted by Guyana at the National Sports Hall.
Jamaica won that fifth place clash 55-51.
The two teams met three years later at the 1991 CARICOM Championship in Kingston, Jamaica.
The hosts won that CARICOM clash 87-75. For Guyana, Auric Tappin top-scored with 27 points, skipper Leon Christian 17 points, Wayne Andries 14 points and Gregory Wyles 13 points.
Four years later, August 1995, the two teams met again, this time the venue was the Isaacs Kennedy Gymnasium, Nassau, Bahamas.
Jamaica won that CARICOM match-up 67-54.
The following year 1996, the two teams met twice at the CARICOM Championship in Trinidad and Tobago.
Jamaica won in the preliminary round 106-98. For Guyana, skipper Lugard Mohan top-scored with 19 points, Steven Nurse 14 points and Lorenzo Withrite 14 points.

The teams met in the semi-finals and again Jamaica won 100-97. Guyana centre Lorenzo Withrite top-scored with 27 points and had 9 rebounds, Wayne Bristol 23 points and skipper Lugard Mohan 20 points. The two countries next met four years later, in June 2000, in Bridgetown, Barbados. Guyana played under the captaincy of Ravens icon, Lugard Mohan, ending the Reggae Boyz dominance with an empathic 70-63 points’ victory.
The venue was Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium. Skipper Lugard Mohan led from the front with 24 points, centre Lancelot Loncke 18 points Deryck Boyd 9 points, Orin Mohan 9 points. For Jamaica, Julian Dunkley top-scored with 14 pts, Damian Leslie scored 12pts.
Jamaica won the 2011 clash in The Bahamas 75-43.. For Jamaica, Garfield Blair top-scored with 18 points, R. Reid scored 10 points. For Guyana, Rodwell Fortune aced with 14 points anf Dwayne Roberts 11 points..

The last Guyana team that defeated Jamaica in 2000.
Lugard Mohan – Captain, Ravens
Orin Mohan – Ravens
Lancelot Lonke – Globe Trotters
Remington Ram – Globe Trotters
Lorenzo Withrite – Colts
Andrew Ifill – Deceased – Colts United
Dexter Martin – D/C Jammers
Sherwin Devonish – D/C Jammers
Deryck Boyd – Deceased – D/C Jammers
Darren Ainsworth – D/C Jammers
Steven Nurse – D/C Jammers
Wayne Bristol – D/C Jammers
Steve Niels Jr – Kings
Bernard Daniels – Coach
Robert Cadogan – Assistant Coach
Please note that Steve Niels Jr was not named in the original squad. He replaced Wayne Bristol.