`You are inspiring an entire generation’
Both entities donated undisclosed financial packages to the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) to aid in the team’s participation and preparation.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., said, “You have a heavy burden to carry because you are inspiring an entire generation of Guyanese people, so while you are playing and you want successful individual performances and while this is an opportunity for you, I want you to be mindful that your actions, your commitment, your dedication, have a very reverberating effect all across this country.”
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Pre-Qualifiers will be staged in El Salvador. The team is scheduled to depart local shores tomorrow.
Stanton Rose, captain of the victorious (FIBA) AmeriCup 2021 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers team, returns in the same capacity. He will lead a squad which also comprises siblings Delroy and Gordon James, Deylon Anthony, Anthony Moe, Travis Belgrave, Timothy Thompson, Harold Adams, Akeem Crandon, Terron Welsh, Israel Yaw and Nicholai Smith.
Crandon, a centre, replaces point guard Yonnick Tappin who tested positive for the Coronavirus.
“The Government of Guyana is happy to support your effort but one of the ways you can inspire people is by being successful,” said the minister.
“The development of a country is a team sport and development is not only building your company or a building but it is building people and building the talent coming from sport, is an important way we develop our human capita…on behalf of the Government of Guyana, it is our expectation that the Private Sector will join in sponsoring team sports”, he added.
GOA boss Kalam Juman-Yassin during brief remarks said, “There is a heavy responsibility on you because you are playing for the country and at the end of the day, once you do well and you are successful, each and everyone who is here will share in that happiness.”
GABF President, Michael Singh said, “The aim with this process was to give the members of the victorious 2018 Caribbean Basketball Championship team an opportunity to represent their country at a higher level and in my opinion and we have a fantastic basketball team.”
GABF Vice-President and team manager Alex Graham revealed that a budget of GYD$15 million is being utilized for the team’s participation, adding that it was a challenge to acquire the requisite amount due to the current economic climate.
According to Graham, the GABF requested different levels of sponsorship from varying entities, which are Platinum ($3 Million), Gold ($2 Million), Silver ($1 Million) and Bronze ($500,000).
He disclosed that some of the sponsors include W. Rambaran Services, Biddle Inc. S.A.C, Atlantic Marine Services under their Parker Brand, Fit It Electrical and Rambarran Contracting, E-Networks, JHI Associates and Western Union.
Guyana will commence their campaign on Thursday against Nicaragua from 21:00hrs. This will be followed by a meeting with recent entrant Jamaica on April 16th at 18:00hrs.
On Saturday the Guyanese will oppose El Salvador from 21:00hrs, with their final group match occurring against Costa Rica from 21:00hrs one day later. All matches will be hosted at the José Adolfo Pineda National Gymnasium.
The first round of qualifiers will be conducted utilising a group format, with the top three finishers progressing to the second round of qualifiers slated for July 2021.
The traveling contingent is scheduled to undergo a second round of PCR Tests for Covid-19 today prior to their expected departure.
“It is apposite to note that there was a relaunch of women’s football in 2017. A critical element of the relaunch was the establishment of the International Support Group (ISG), based in North America, that serves as the interface between the Federation and the international coaching staff and players. The ISG, which is composed of eminently qualified persons, plays a critical role in identification and selection of international players for the SWNT, as well as coordinating team camps and preparations”, the GFF release stated.
According to the correspondence, the current administration upon taking office in 2015, completely restructured the women’s programme, adding that this was done in part to ensure no financial burden would be transferred onto the players and/or parents in the future which were a staple of previous years.
“This restructuring required an internal process of review, policymaking, the establishment of the ISG, and the recruitment of new staff. Since the relaunch, all associated costs for the SWNT’s participation in matches, including flights, transportation, accommodation, training equipment, match kits, and other equipment acquisition have been paid for by the federation”, the released explained.
“For the first subsequent international engagement in April 2018, the Federation introduced a stipend policy for players in competition, with the female youth teams being its first beneficiaries.”
“As an example, between 2016 and 2020, the Lady Jaguars played more than twice (125%) the number of international matches than in the period 2011 and 2015. Female youth national team engagements rose 300% between the same periods, as the current administration established new teams to compete at U15 and U20 level, and invested further in the U17 programme”, the release added.
The federation also disclosed that several international engagements scheduled to occur this year. They are the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in November, the U20 Concacaf Championship in September, the U17 Concacaf Championship and u14 Girls Caribbean Football Union Challenge Series.
The GFF also dismissed the allegations of systematic bias.
“Gender equality is an urgent issue that requires deep structural changes throughout society, and beyond the limited influence of sport. The federation is determined to remain a leading light in promoting, fostering and delivering positive change for women among sports federations in Guyana and beyond,” said Forde.
“We would like to reassure the football community and the nation that the federation is committed to gender equality and fair and equitable representation and treatment for women in all our activities. The federation does not practice systemic bias with regard to women, and women are certainly not treated or regarded as ‘second class’ citizens by my administration.”
Meanwhile, President of the Guyana National Association for Women’s Football (GNAWF), Andrea Johnson, said: “I would like to first acknowledge the seriousness of the concerns raised by the players. As President of the Guyana National Association for Women’s Football and a woman, I have a duty to work with the GFF in assessing any gender-oriented bias and once determined to exist, work towards bringing about the necessary changes.”
She added, “Notwithstanding that these issues were never raised with GNAWF, I wish to assure the affected players of my full support in addressing their concerns. While it is fair to say that we still have a long road to travel in the development of women’s football in Guyana, I can attest to the significant progress the GFF has made since 2015. The GFF has fully funded Guyana’s participation in international tournaments over the past five years, with our teams recording more than credible results on each occasion.”
Similarly, President of the ISG, Rebecca Vaughan, said, “Whilst the International Support Group had no prior knowledge of any communication between our Lady Jaguars and our Government; we acknowledge the ongoing work that needs to be done to address gender inequity. We are mindful of the current administration’s meaningful progress that has significantly advanced the women’s game in Guyana. The grassroots development and investment have resulted in female domestic players earning the opportunity to represent our beloved country at the senior international level.”
According to the release, while the GFF recognizes the difficult task ahead in creating a level playing field for women in the sport, the current administration has secured measurable success with the assistance of the FIFA, Concacaf and the ISG.”