IBF U-18 basketball tournament launched
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) officially launched the International Basketball Foundation (IBF) Under-18 Antilles 3x3 Championships at the SleepIn International Hotel, Brickdam yesterday.
Nigel Hinds, President of the GABF, declared that the tournament is a great opportunity for the respective participants especially the local contingent. He said that the programme can be viewed as a platform for educational and athletic progression.
According to Hinds, while the benefits of the event cannot be quantified from a financial perspective, the development of the youths highlights the objective that FIBA and IBF places in the discipline.
Similarly, Theren Bullock, the representative of IBF, revealed that the entity is pleased to partner with the GABF to stage the competition. He said that the 3x3 format has grown exponentially and will be an Olympic sport from 2020.
He declared that the format provides the opportunity for smaller nations to compete, be competitive and possibly secure positive results against vaunted nations, as the gap in overall talent and ability is often reduced.
Bullock further disclosed that a one-day seminar, by the Change Foundation from England, will be held today at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue, which is the venue for the tournament.
He added that the forum is being staged to sensitise all the competitors on the importance of using basketball as a tool for positive change in their respective communities and forms part of IBF’s social responsibility.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Basketball Officials Council (GBOC) will be tasked with officiating the entire event. President Dexter Douglas said he is pleased to be a part of the tournament, which he envisions will be an overwhelming success.
The event is slated to run from October 20th-21st. Eight nations will participate in the tournament with Guyana fielding teams in both the boys and girls division respectively.
The nations that have confirmed their participation for the boys division are Aruba, Barbados, Dominica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique and St Lucia.
Guyana has been paired in Group B with Martinique, French Guiana and Dominica, while Group A consists of Barbados, St Lucia, Guadeloupe and Aruba.
Guyana boys’ unit will be represented by the quartet of Akeem Crandon, Andrew Johnson, Nigel Bowen and Shamar France, with Mark Agard serving as the Coordinator.
In the girls division, the competing countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique and St Lucia.
The local ladies will feature in Group A alongside Barbados, St Lucia and Aruba, while Group B comprises Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, and Martinique.
The girls’ team will feature the foursome of Annalisa Barclay, Saffiya Greene, Lydia Roberts and Roschelle Campbell, with Troy Greene acting as the Coordinator.
An individual section will also be contested. The Skills Challenge will only be contested by the girls, while the Dunk Contest will be open to boys only. The Three Point Shooting Contest will be open to both.