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  • FIBA referee Howard Peters on one-week visit
    Joe Chapman JUNE 30, 2004
    GUYANA'S lone United States-based International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA) referee, Howard Peters, is back home on a one-week stay.
    Peters, now a certified official of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO), had obtained a perfect score of 100 per cent pass in his examinations last October 1 to November 26, 2003, for aspiring referees in New Jersey in the United States and conducted by Edgar Cartotto, one of the most experienced referees in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history.
    He was among nearly one hundred aspirants who entered for the clinic to become IAABO-certified referees.
    Seventy were successful. In addition they had to complete three days practical work on techniques of the game and officiating, which had followed the theory examinations before they were finally assessed. Peters said "I am happy I was successful and I did what I always wanted, that is to get 100 per cent in my tests".
    Peters came into international recognition in 1997 when he was successful in the examinations - written and practical - by the International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA) when he gained his carnet (licence).
    While he successfully completed the IAABO clinic for recognition, Peters is most likely the only Guyanese to be the holder of both the FIBA and IAABO badges with a licence to do matches both for FIBA and IAABO-sanctioned basketball matches, particularly on the American circuit.
    He went into in action last night as a referee in one of the matches at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and will give support to the locally based refereeing fraternity during his stay.

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  • Trinidad and Tobago slam DC Jammers 73-69 - President’s A remain unbeaten ...
    By Joe Chapman JUNE 29, 2004
    AS promised a resilient Trinidad and Tobago men's team rebounded by handing the heavily favoured Washington DC Jammers an enthralling defeat, winning 73-69 points, while the President's Select A team wrestled out a win against their B counterparts 68-56 on Sunday as the "battle for supremacy" international basketball tournament, organised by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
    After the tainted loss by 47 points to the Guyana President's A Selection 89-42 Friday night, the Twin Island Republic boys responded showing great defence tactics.
    Once again the big DC Jammers forward Kenny Avent looked in great form as he pulled up for a three-pointer to extend his team's lead 16-7 after the scores were alike at 2, 4, 6 and 7 with 3:45 to go in the first quarter which eventually ended 22-15 for the Jammers.
    Evidenced by a remarkable improvement in their poise and ball-handling with the inclusion of three players who were absent in their previous loss, the Trinidadians came within a point 21-22 at one stage, as shooting guard Anthony Best knocked down a three-point shot.
    This was followed by free throws awarded to him as he was fouled making yet another offensive move inside and once again they were behind by one - 23-24.
    The scores were equal at 25 with 5:45 remaining in this second quarter but Trinidad took the initiative with captain Kerry Westford's two ‘freebies’ 15 seconds later.
    But forwards Reggie King scored one from beyond the arc and Dexter Martin, who hit the mid-range jumpers and was fouled on a penetration, nailed the subsequent free throws to give his team the lead 30-29.
    But the dangerous Best had to come up with clear ideas of how to dismantle the bigger Jammers’ structure. He sniped one from downtown to start the second quarter and followed it with another ‘trey' from outside the arc. By then he had found his range from downtown and his team took the lead at halftime 38-36.
    The third quarter saw Best in tandem with another shooting guard, Vibert Dean, and they knocked down outside shots as they brought the defensive pattern of the Jammers out and in this mode they were able to trigger their offensive game.
    Furthermore, the smaller Trinidadians were showing what defines the most challenging and important aspect of defence.
    This they did to near perfection, as they gave up height and apparent jumping ability - which are crucial aspects of rebounding, - to display excellent team discipline and determination not seen in their two previous matches to pull off this win.
    Through their commitment the men from Trinidad and Tobago posted scores in their favour at the end of the third period 56-49.
    It was not anticipated at all and many wondered what caused the huge turn around by the Trinidad and Tobago side and what happened to the DC Jammers.
    The Jammers were being out-hustled to say the least. But a game it was, with Antric Klibor the tall southpaw semi-professional player, who came up big with one from beyond the three-point line, bringing his team within a point 60-61 with 7:10 to go.
    A block, courtesy of the 6ft 7in Klibor allowed teammate Avent to score off a breakaway basket, as Jammers regained the lead 62-61 and with five minutes remaining.
    With Trinidad and Tobago up 67-62, a basket moments later by Avent saw the lead reduced to a single point 67-66, before guard Sean Powell netted for the Jammers but only to see Kester King level the scores with 2:34 still on the game clock.
    From here it was a scramble for victory as Trinidad and Tobago turned the ball over, allowing Sherwin Douglas to lay-in a Jammers lead 71-69 and with 2:15 in the game, Avent muffed a drive to the basket.
    But still the DC team were able to make a good strip with under 1:30 left and turn the ball over again with 1:12 remaining. Again Trinidad lost control and DC copied, to the disbelief of fans, causing the Twin Island Republic to score for a 73-69 advantage. There were two more turnovers in the game, one each from the Jammers and T&T, which resulted in Avent again failing on a lay-up with less than ten seconds in the game as the scores read at the end 73-69 in favour of Trinidad and Tobago.
    For Trinidad and Tobago, Best had 21 points and six rebounds, Dean 17 points, Kerry Westford nine points and Richard Cruishard six points.
    The Jammers’ best scorers were again Kenny Avent with 14 points and five rebounds, Dexter Martin had 18 points and six rebounds and Darren Ainsworth eight points and eight rebounds.
    In the first game the President's A selection prevailed against their B counterparts after the B team looked to give them a run for their money earlier in the first half.
    In fact the B side led 26-25 at the break but the more experienced team overcame with a fine 68-56 points victory. Forward Royston Siland was in form with 12 points as Andrew Ifill posted 11 with six rebounds, Jermaine Warde and Alwyn Bellamy each with eight points and Lugard Mohan seven second-half points.
    For the losing B side Neil Marks and Terrence James each netted 15, Mark Trotz contributed nine points and six rebounds and Kester Gomes grabbed eight rebounds.
    Tonight the ‘battle for supremacy series’ resumes with DC Jammers opposing the President's Select ‘A’ team in the second game while the first will see the Trinidad and Tobago men against the President's Select B team at 20.00 hrs.

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  • Golden Brook Sheriff basketball club launched
    By Leeron Brumell JUNE 29, 2004
    YET another basketball club has been formed and launched in the Georgetown area.
    The Golden Brook Sheriff Basketball club, brainchild on Perry Woolford, was revealed to the media yesterday at a launching ceremony at the Woodbine International Hotel.
    The club which plans to go into action later this year or early in 2005 will have all measures in place to ensure a smooth and organised running that will ultimately lead to player development and that of the sport.
    “We have all the measures in place to make the club a driving force in Guyana and to set standards for others to follow,” said Woolford, who will also act as the Interim Management chairman until the club’s first elections in December where a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and committee members will be elected.
    Over the remaining six months the club’s constitution, player agreements and negotiations with the sponsors - Golden Brook Oil of the Pomeroon and Sheriff Entertainment Bar- and CLICO Insurance Company will be finalised.
    Woolford said he had been given the go ahead by the sponsors to use the names, however the final paper work should be completed within the next three weeks as it relates to their involvement.
    He further added that once players sign up with the team they would be playing for the club for two years, citing that players are in the habit of jumping from club to club in quick time.
    Insurance for the players will also be a key issue, which is still being drafted.
    The Club House will be set up within the next two months at a location (still to be decided) where the players will have a chance to develop all their skills and talent.
    Woolford said he has so far secured the services of a physiotherapist to work along with the players, some 20 male players for now and later female players.
    A coach has not yet been named, but the club is inviting applications since they are looking for someone with the necessary qualifications and who can also be a father figure to the players and have the clout to motivate the players to perform to their true potential.
    Zero tolerance will be enforced in the area of discipline, which Woolford said is the basis for the formation of the club. He said the Golden Brook Sheriff Club would follow the rules of the Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding Federation (GABF).
    The team will also look to bring back third division action and the first game will be against a team from Berbice.
    The team at its launching also from the ‘jumper’ received support from the visiting DC Jammers team here for the international tournament.
    Manager of the Jammers, David Baird, congratulated the founder of the club and challenged the players to excel both in sport and academics.
    He said the aim of the Jammers is to assist in the development of the sport and also to have his players selected on the national team for the CARICOM championship.
    Baird assured the club and players of support in the event of acquiring scholarships to further their playing ability and academics.
    He said contact can be made with the Jammers’ coach Michael Creppy and assistant coach Clarence Waldron at anytime.
    The management committee will have Eon Andrews as technical adviser for the GABF while Dwayne Waldron will act as the players’ representative and Orin Johnson as the public relations personnel.

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  • President’s Select A mince Trinidad & Tobago 89-42 - Jammers pound B unit 90-81
    By Joe Chapman JUNE 27, 2004
    AN aggressive President's Select A side employed the basic concepts of pressure defence and, by embodying offensive ploys for three quarters of the game, crushed the visiting Trinidad and Tobago men's team 89-42 while the Washington D.C Jammers joined the fray by disposing of the President's Select B team 90-81, as the ‘battle for supremacy’ basketball promotion of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) continued Friday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
    In the supporting game the chosen and more experienced Guyana B women's unit gained another win over their un-fancied A counterparts, winning this time 41-38.
    This time the B team did not let up as in the first game and kept close to their opponents before driving to the end to win.
    However, it was the men's matches that provided the interest for the evening. Following the first game, the President's Select A team faced the Trinidadians.
    It started and ended as a lesson by the hosts to the visiting side as coach Bobby Cadogan's team appeared to be playing at another level. The Trinidadians seemed to slumber through the first segments of the game.
    The President's Select A team established a 20-5 first quarter advantage, then outscored Trinidad and Tobago 21-4 to lead at halftime 41-9.
    They then held sway at the end of the third quarter 56-24 before the President's A team continued their dominance with a 33-18 points run difference to triumph eventually 89-42, thus creating one of the greatest margins of victory by a Guyanese team over Trinidad and Tobago at this level in recent memory.
    It also came as Trinidad and Tobago were attempting to post back-to-back wins after they had scored a solid victory over the President's Select B team the night before 84-72.
    The manager of the Trinidad and Tobago team Clayton Blackman, speaking to Chronicle Sport, said he lost two of his better players on Friday night due to their observance of the Sabbath as they are Seventh Day Adventists.
    He further said that in the first quarter the referees were not in control of the game, allowing some hard calls against his team. They were not as consistent as they should have been.
    He added "the guys might have underestimated the team too, so did not come out playing as hard as we should, but the officiating is what I thought spoiled the game".
    Blackman said a request was made for the game to be postponed on Friday night, as they would have lost two players but it was not accepted, He then promised a better performance for the rest of the tournament.
    He succeeded, as his team exhibited superior basketball skills throughout the game.
    Steve Neils (Jnr) led the way for the local A team scoring 15 points and five steals, substitute small forward Alwyn Bellamy was impressive with 13 points, the experienced guard Lugard Mohan added 12 points as young centre Dwayne Roberts impressed with 11 points and raked in seven rebounds, while Andrew Ifill scored 10 points and Jermaine Warde contributed with timely penetrations to score nine points.
    For the Trinidadians, Best netted 16 points and seven rebounds, Vibert Dean 10 points and Kerry Westford nine points..
    In the night cap, the DC Jammers proved a pervasive force as they overcame a hesitant start after being down at the end of the first quarter 17-22 to take the initiative at halftime 46-43 and open the advantage 71-64 by the end of the third quarter. The final scores read 90-61 in favour of the Washington team.
    However, the DC Jammers were pressed into a game when the scores were tied at 71 with 7:02 to play before they outscored the Guyanese locals 10-2 to lead 81-73 with 3:4 to go before winning in style 90-81.
    This game was one which displayed the talents of pencil-thin forward Kester Gomes who netted 23 points and had five rebounds. Another promising player was the dynamic Rawlston Williams who, like Gomes, impressed all with his positive game, while Jomo Augustine, who did not play in the match against the Trinidadians also had a significant performance with 17 points while guard Marvin Hartman played well for his 10 points and Trevor McCloud snatched eight rebounds.
    But their efforts were not enough to bring their side victory as the more composed DC Jammers controlled the end. This was despite not having the best performance from import semi-professional player forward Altric Klibor in full rhythm while getting seven points and six rebounds. It was the big forward Kenny Advent who led all scorers with 28 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, guard Sean Powell pouring in 17 points and Darren Ainsworth getting 12 second-half points, with Sherland Douglas gaining seven points and a similar amount of rebounds in their winning effort.
    Assistant coach of the Jammers, Clarence Wallerson, paid tribute to one of the best players to have graced these shores in the Jammers uniform, Dereck Boyd, who represented Guyana but died by accident last April in Israel.
    Coach Bobby Cadogan said his team would have a much-improved performance in today's game since the Jammers will present stiffer opposition. He said "we are going to come out victorious ... the guys’ confidence is very high and we look forward to the clash".
    Once again Nyota Peters was outstanding for the B team who defeated their A team rivals 41-38 after holding the edge at lemon time 20-11. Peters scored 15 points, Natasha Alder nine and D. Mayers grabbed nine rebounds in the win. Nichola Jacobs was again in good form scoring 15 points and holding 11 rebounds while Keoma April got eight points.
    Tonight the Tri-State team of players from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut which should include senior national players Lancelot Loncke and Remmington Ram, among others, in the battle when they play their first game against Trinidad and Tobago at 20:00 hrs and the second game of the double header will see the unbeaten teams President's Select A against the Washington DC Jammers at 22:00 hours in what should be an intriguing night of top class basketball.

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  • T&T down Guyana ‘B’ in opening game
    By Leeron Brumell JUNE 26, 2004
    TRINIDAD and Tobago’s male basketball team defeated Guyana ‘B’ on the opening night of action in the International Basketball tournament organised by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF).
    The Guyana ‘A’ team beat their ‘B’ counterparts as the Trinidadian female players did not travel.
    In the game that saw equal talents being matched in the first three quarters, Guyana, taking the home court advantage, took a slim 17-16 lead at the end of the first period, then fell behind by four points 35-39 by the halfway mark over the Twin Island Republic boys.
    However, after the resumption, Trinidad and Tobago worked to maintain their lead and by the end of the third quarter led 58-55, with Guyana managing to hang on, but playing below par.
    In the final quarter the Trinidadians decided to turn up the heat, and using the basics of passing and scoring on the inside, they gradually began to pull away as the locals seldom converted passes to score, more so playing some selfish basketball, with most players looking to build their reputation by going to the basket in a one-man show. In short, the Trinidadian scored two of every three shots taken.
    The Guyana team did some good in reducing the deficit despite being down 15 points at one time. They, however, lost by twelve, 72-84.
    Vibert Deen scored nine points, and Sean Edwards and Kerry Westford both six points apiece for Trinidad and Tobago, while Rawle Conway had ten points and Stephon Gillias eight for the Guyana ‘B’ team.
    In the opening game, Guyana ‘A’ female players defeated their ‘B’ counterparts 56-49.
    Heptathlon athlete Nayota Peters scored 23 points and ripped down 17 rebounds for the ‘A’ team with support coming from Shellon Adams 14 points and Natasha Alder eight.
    Kaeoma April had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the ‘B’ team, Tamika Joseph 12 points and Sonia Rodney ten points.
    The female players will now contest a best-of-three series since the Trinidad and Tobago players did not arrive.
    Tri-State consisting of players from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were scheduled to play on Thursday night but only a few of the players arrived earlier in the day while the others were expected later that evening. The DC Jammers arrived earlier in the evening.
    Action continues tomorrow at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with a triple-header from 18:30 hrs.
    There will be no games today due to boxing at the venue. The tournament concludes on July 1.

  • GABF name five teams for International tournament
  • Leeron Brumell - JUNE 25, 2004
    THE Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has released the names of the five teams that will be involved in the International tournament involving the DC Jammers and Tri-State of the USA, and Trinidad and Tobago at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The tournament bounced off last night.
    The federation has named ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams in the male and female department and also a junior team currently preparing for a tour to Suriname during the August holidays.
    The Guyana ‘A’ team, coached by Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan, comprises Lugard Mohan, Steve Neils Jr., Darcel Harris, Curwin Blades, Neylan Loncke, Andrew Ifill, Alwyn Bellamy, Dwayne Roberts, Royston Siland, Jermaine Warde, Rudy James and Kelvin Simon.
    The ‘B’ team comprises Kester Gomes, Marvin Hartman, Neil Marks, David Green, Stephon Gillis, Trevor McLeoud, Mark Trotz, Rawle Conway, Kurt Elias, Anthony Joseph, Hollingsworth Casey, Darren Gordon and Suriah Clarke.
    Herbert Adams is the coach.
    The female ‘A’ team will be Sharon Jerome, Kean Andrews, Sofia Elliott, Natasha Alder, Natasha Primo, Rene Cornette, Nayota Peters, Shellon Adams, Peggy Blair, Ameena Alphonso, Keisha Thomas and Karen Norville with coach Mark Trim.
    The ‘B’ team is being coached by Brian Carter and has in the line-up Delicia Mayers, Kamiki Joseph, Natasha Andrews, L. Anderson, Maria Reid, Latoya Rodney, Nicola Jacobs, Kaoema April, Sonia Rodney, Candacy Atkins and Sobiola Gray.
    The junior team preparing for a Suriname tour later this year will play one game against the Trinidadians.
    The team includes Carl Jackman, Melroy Browne, Jason Warde, Ryan Stephney, Ryan Gullen, Keon Levans, Jaime Mayers, Jermaine Lovell, Akimi Mars and Derick Anderson.

  • Bounty Colts lift Invitational trophy
  • By Leeron Brumell - June, 22 2004
    IN THE wee hours of yesterday morning, Bounty Colts won the Invitational basketball competition, wrapping up the best-in-three final with a tough and exciting second game win against newcomers Nets at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
    Colts triumphed by 20 points, 89-69, thrilling fans who remained after midnight, perhaps glued to their seats by the intense action on the court.
    Both teams got off to a slow start in the first few minutes, but Colts who went into the game with a one-game advantage, quickly found their rhythm and led 27-18. Nets, however, worked their way back into the game and by the halfway mark trailed 37-32. At one stage, they reduced the deficit to two points after being down by as much as 12 points.
    After the resumption the Colts again went to work, but the Nets rallied and gave the Colts their most difficult period, with Devon Persaud creating a number of plays and blind passes that had the crowd on their feet. However, his team-mates seldom converted the passes to score.
    Persaud persisted and, with support from Pellum Doris, led Nets into a tense and explosive battle in the dying minutes of the period, which saw the first three-pointer being scored.
    Colts ended the third period on a powerful note 60-57 thanks to a marvellous power dunk from the dependable Andrew Ifill, sending the fans wild with excitement.
    Fourth period play started hot, with Nets taking a slim 61-60 lead for the second time in the game, but Colts re-established their lead a few seconds later and it was all downhill from there for the Nets. Colts put up a crippling defence, and Ifill slammed in another two dunks, converting the accurate court passes.
    The tall player leapt into the air and rocked the basket with a double-handed alley-hoop ‘power’ dunk. The venue again was in a ‘mad’ uproar, with the ‘hype’ songs of rappers 50 Cent and DMX blasting on the sound system.
    Inside two minutes Colts established a 20-point lead and again an up-court pass was sent to Ifill who was all alone -- the result a marvellous reverse dunk to cap a game between two die-hard teams. Colts proved the superior.
    Colts’ scoring was headed by eventual MVP of the game, Curwin Blades, who netted 21, while Ifill netted 19.
    Persaud, a player who displayed exceptional playing ability led with 15, while Mortimer Williams had 12 for Nets.
    Colts collected the championship trophy donated by Empire Trust Enterprises and the $75 000 first prize, while Nets, a team to look for in the future, collected $50 000 and third-placed Courts Pacesetters $25 000.
    The opening encounter was a lop-sided victory for Emperors, completely dominating Cyber City Rangers. By the halfway mark, they led 43-24 and in the remaining two periods humiliated Rangers with a 50-point victory, 104-54.
    Kevin Lawrence 22, Suriah Clarke 19 and Sheldon Braithwaite 17 were the top scorers for Emperors while Adelli Simon 17 and Lawrence Simon 15 were the top gamers for Rangers.
    The tournament was organised by the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) in collaboration with Emperors and Cyber City Rangers clubs.

  • Colts draw first blood in Invitational final...
    Pacesetters claim third spot
  • By Leeron Brumell - JUNE 21 2004
    NATIONAL club champions Bounty Colts drew first blood, winning game one of the best-in-three Invitational Basketball final at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Saturday.
    Colts claimed a 67-52 victory over Nets in a game that saw horrible shooting by both teams, while the Courts Pacesetters were 76-68 winners against Ravens to take the third place spot.
    Colts were better in the first half of the game scoring at a fairly good rate to establish a 20-10 lead by the end of the first period and looked set to record a big score against the Nets. They still had the ten-point lead at halftime, 34-24.
    However, after the resumption, both teams had shooting problems, with Colts managing only two points in the first three minutes of play, while Nets managed their first point four minutes into the period.
    Colts hit more shots than the Nets and established a 13-point lead, 48-35, at the end of the third quarter.
    Frustration stepped in, in the fourth and final period with Nets desperately trying to decrease the lead, which seemed way out of their league, having trailed for the first time in the tournament by such a wide margin.
    With less than six minutes to play, Colts had possession of the ball, and the unimaginable happened -- Nets spilled a cooler of water on the court. Was it deliberate, who knows?
    At the stage the few spectators that endured the long night of basketball turned up their noses and filed out. Anyone could count the number of patrons left in the venue on their fingers and toes.
    The referees then went to work on a massive mopping up exercise to get the game restarted. It took fifteen minutes.
    Thereafter the game progressed without incident and Colts comfortably won in a low-scoring affair by some 15 points.
    Gavin Beeram starred with 20 points and Trevor McLeod eleven for Colts while Pellum Doris and Tristan Tullock both netted eleven points for Nets who lost their first game of the tournament.
    In the third place playoff, Pacesetters claimed an eight-point win over the Ravens.
    The first period was closely contested with Pacesetters holding a very slim 19-18 lead at the end of the first quarter, but then went up 34-28 at halftime.
    Ravens, however, worked their way back into contention and by the end of the third period trailed 52-54. But Pacesetters, now famous for their late bursts in the final period, claimed the 76-68 win.
    Neylan Lonke had 21 and Stephon Gillis 12 points for the Pacesetters, while Darcel Harris netted 23 and Rudy James 18 for Ravens. Game two of the best-in-three final was scheduled for last night, while Scorpions and Emperors were scheduled for the supporting encounter.

  • Basketball showdown expected this weekend
  • By Leeron Brumell - JUNE 19 2004
    THE Cliff Anderson Sports Hall will buzz with basketball action tonight and tomorrow night when the third place playoff and games one and two of the finals are contested in the Invitational tournament.
    Tonight, Courts Pacesetters and Ravens meet in the third place playoff, while national club champions Bounty Colts comes up against ‘giant killers’ Nets.
    Courts Pacesetters who were shocked 82-81 in the semi-final a week ago by the Nets will have a point to prove when they meet Ravens, who have been playing excellent basketball, despite their unlucky loss to Colts in the other semi-final game.
    Pacesetters, the number two ranked club in the country, played a lackadaisical tournament, not showing what they are really made of, save and last for Stephon Gillis, who according to Chronicle Sport stats has been carrying the team through, almost always scoring in double figures and doing equally well in the rebounding department.
    Naylon Loncke has been doing his part, while Jermaine Warde has not been on par for the past two months with his game.
    Usually an impressive player scoring at a minimum 15 points in previous tournaments and going as far as making a season high 43 points.
    Mark Richards rounds off hope for Pacesetters unless the bench players step up to the plate.
    Ravens have the experience, creativity and will (guts) in their line up in Lugard Mohan, Darcel Harris, Rudy James and Kester Gomes with excellent defensive skills.
    Harris is the playmaker on the team and can be potentially lethal when he gets into his groove, making both three- pointer and inside shots, while Mohan controls the pace of the game.
    He is excellent under pressure and commands the best from his team.
    Their downfall would be a lack of focus, which was exposed in the game against Colts, when they led for the majority of the game until the closing moments in the final quarter when Colts took the lead and hung on for a narrow 62-60 victory.
    Game one of the final should prove an exciting one with Colts meeting Nets.
    Colts have a star studded line up that can break down the defences of any team in Andrew Ifill, Kelvin Simon, Rondel Murphy, Dane Kendall and Curwin Blades, while given the opportunity Gavin Beeram and Kyode Murray can add to the strength of the team.
    Given the upper hand, Colts will trample on any team that does not play hard from the outset and will apply immense pressure, as in the case of the Cyber City Rangers who were trashed 109-54 in the quarter-final stage.
    Nets, the new team on the block have played remarkably well from game one, holding their own under pressure and also applying pressure.
    Their line-up includes a number of players that left the Pepsi Sonics team and have experience playing in the indoor court.
    Fabian Johnson, Tristan Tullock, Pellum Doris and Mortimer Williams are the key players on the team. Game two of the final is set for tomorrow and if need be for a game three, which should be played the following weekend.

  • Four-team international basketball tourney to bounce off next week
  • By Leeron Brumell - June 18 2004
    THE Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) will be hosting a four-team international tournament slated to bounce off next week at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with six days of action.
    The tournament will feature Washington DC Jammers and a Tri-State team from the USA, a male and female team from Trinidad and Tobago and four Guyanese teams-two-male and two female.
    The tournament bounces off on June 24 and will have games on June 25, 27, 29, 30 and concludes on July 01 with three matches nightly from 18:30 hrs.
    President of the GABF Colonel (Ret) Godwin McPherson said that the teams will be playing for ‘love’ and the camaraderie of the game, since the major sponsor Universal Airlines has pulled out.
    A fifth team in the Richmond Hill Rebels-an all Indian team- being coordinated by Salim Nazudeen from Universal Airlines was expected to be here, but McPherson said that they pulled out because they were not happy with the publicity the sport was getting from one section of the media.
    Despite this fact companies like West Indian Sports Complex, Banks DIH, Bounty Farms, Golden Brook and the Sheriff Restaurant and Bar have in some way assisted in the staging of the tournament.
    The Trinidad and Tobago teams and the DC Jammers who have been coming here since 1988 are expected in on the evening of June 24 and will stand their own expenses, so too will be the Tri-State team.
    The Tri-State team is being coordinated by Hilton ‘Bonzo’ Weekes and comprises Guyanese players from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.
    The teams have been given reasonable prices on the airline tickets, though it is more than what was put forward in concrete proposals with the airline.
    McPherson said that the airline was offering a full package, airfare, and accommodation and playing prizes among other areas.
    The president said that the Trinidadian teams will decide on accommodation when they arrive as the GABF is engaged in talks with two agencies.
    The president said the aim of the fielding two male and female local teams is to give exposure to the players and to allow the programme to run snoothly.
    Guyana’s male and female teams should be named by the weekend. They are under coaches Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan who is responsible for the male ‘A’ team and Hubert Adams the ‘B’ team, while the females are being coached by Brian Carter at the East Ruimveldt court.
    Admission to the games on the first five nights will be $400, while on the night of the finals $500 will be charged.
    The federation also disclosed that the male and female teams will make a return visit to Suriname on July 3.
    A male and female Surinamese contingent was here over the Easter weekend for a Goodwill series, with the local males drawing the series 1-1, while the local females lost to their counterparts 2-0.. The series will be on July 4 and -5.

  • LABA second division basketball:
    Half Mile Bulls, Amelia’s Ward Jets win opening matches
  • By Joe Chapman - July, 21 2004
    THE opening matches of the second division basketball competition, run by the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA), were rained out Sunday but play in the competition got under way on Monday with wins for Half Mile Bulls and Amelia's Ward Jets in front of an appreciative crowd at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) hard court.
    The wins by Half Mile Bulls and Amelia's Ward Jets allowed them jumpstarts to their goal of advancing into the semifinals of this twelve-team tournament, which has four groups of three clubs each, contesting to reach the knockout stages.
    In what was the opening match Half Mile Bulls scored a 67-62 points win over Silver Nets after leading comfortably at halftime 36-21 while Jets edged past Karabow 58-57 after holding the advantage by ten points at the break 33-23.
    Playing in their group B match Curley Austin with 14 points, Shane Lewis 12 and Jomo Branch 11 led the Bulls to their win. Justin Inverary was the game's top scorer for Silver Nets with 15 points while Ron Williams contributed 14. Keith Moore and Kevin Taylor each got 10.
    In the group D’s nightcap clash, Jets squeezed out a one-point win over Karabow winning 58-57. Javon Nelson with 15 points, Allistair Webster 14 along with Delbert Caesar and Neil Simon, who added eight and seven points respectively, were the top shoots for the Amelia's Ward Jets. Kingsley Johnson led all scorers playing for the losing Karabow team with 17 points, Kenton Bowen 16 and Kerwin Abrams 14.
    The competition continues this evening with two more matches as Blueberry Hill Blazers come against Kashif and Shanghai Kings in a group A match at 18:900 hrs and third seed Seventy-Sixers oppose newcomers Scheme Unit in a group C match-up at 20:00 hrs. Two more games are scheduled for Friday at the same venue.

  • LABA second division basketball season opens today
  • Joe Chapman - July. 18 2004
    THE Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) will begin its 2004 season today with a double-header match.
    Retrieve Raiders, pre-tournament favourites playing in Group A game, will face the challenge of Blueberry Hill Blazers in what is the second game at 20:00 hrs. However, preceding this is the opening tip off, which will see Canvas City Cavs taking on newcomers Scheme Unit at 18:00 hrs at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.
    The official opening is 16:00 hrs when the new president of the Association, Oswald Quamina, will deliver the feature address after the march past of the twelve affiliated clubs at the Mackenzie Sports Club.
    The B Division competition will see the four groups where three teams play each other and the top clubs will advance to the semifinals.
    The top four clubs are Retrieve Raiders, Amelia's Ward Jets, Seventy-Sixers and Half Mile Bulls.
    Group A has Raiders, Blueberry Hill Blazers and Kashif and Shanghai Kings. Group B has Bulls, Wismar Pistons and Silver Nets, In Group C are Sixers, Canvas City Cavs and Scheme Unit while Group D comprises Jets, Karabow and Amelia's Ward Falcons. For each win, clubs gain two (2) points and for a loss they get one point.
    Following today's opening double-header feature, two games are scheduled for tomorrow with the first game at 16:00 hrs between Half Mile Bulls and Silver Nets while at 20.00 hrs Amelia's Ward Jets rated number two will meet Karabow.
    On Wednesday Blazers oppose Kings and Seventy-Sixers will be in action against Scheme Unit.

  • Two basketball teams off to Suriname
  • By Leeron Brumell - July, 04 2004
    THE Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has sent two teams to Suriname in a return Goodwill Series against the country’s senior teams.
    A male and female team left the country yesterday and will get into action today and tomorrow. They are due back on Tuesday.
    The GABF teams will play two games against the Surinamese and will hope for more favourable performances.
    When the Surinamese visited over the Easter weekend, the female players won 2-l, while the male team ended one-all.
    The local players should be at the top of their game going into the series since they are just off confidence-boosting victories in the International Basketball tournament, staged by the GABF a few days ago at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
    The female players are competition-ready. However they must ensure that they play very good defence against their counterparts, anything less will see another series defeat.
    The men, too, need to work on the defensive aspect and should work extra hard to thwart turnovers on their part, since that contributed to their losing the first game against the DC Jammers in the just concluded tournament.
    Under coach Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan, the Guyana ‘A’ team confused and dominated the Jammers’ defence and should that tactic be employed they are in for an easy victory over the Surinamese despite a lack of crowd support.
    The Guyana ‘A’ team has a formidable line-up and has the potential to set up a defence that will cripple any team that cannot react in time.
    The male team comprises Lugard Mohan, Steve Neils Jr, Darcel Harris, Dwayne Roberts, Andrew Ifill, Alwyn Bellamy, Royston Siland, Terrence James, Jermaine Warde, Neil Marks, Mark Trotz and Marvin Hartman.
    The female team will be led by Shellon Adams with Sharon Jerome her deputy and includes Natasha Alder, Natasha Primo, Rene Cornette, Nyota Peters, Tamiki Joseph, Natasha Andrews, Nichola Jacobs, Kaeoma April, Sonia Rodney and Kene Andrews.
    The coach is Brain Carter while the manager is Eon Andrews with Rhonda Charles as chaperone.

  • Guyana ‘A’ gain sweet revenge over DC Jammers:
    Overseas guests stage temporary walkout
  • By Leeron Brumell - JULY 03, 2004
    GUYANA’S ‘A’ team, gained sweet revenge over the DC Jammers on Thursday night when the final of the International Basketball tournament was contested at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, even when the guests staged a temporary team walkout in front of the biggest crowd the sport had seen since the bottle-throwing incident in early 2003, which threatened the future of the game.
    Guyana ‘A’ triumphed 88-80 in a somewhat close and physical encounter which saw cheers and jeers by the fans and flared tempers, no doubt a game to be remembered by all for months and even years to come.
    It was a night that saw a combination of Guyana ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams in an effort to upstage the powerful and towering Jammers.
    Four ‘B’ players, Kester Gomes, Neil Marks, Terrence James and Mark Trotz, were drafted into the line-up to boost the locals’ chances of pulling one back on the Jammers who had dominated them on Tuesday 82-68.
    The ball game was hotly contested in the first period with both teams ending deadlocked at 25-all, and by halftime Guyana held a slim three-point advantage 45-42.
    After the resumption the game became physical, but both teams played on, the Jammers were bigger ... you be the judge.
    Guyana played hard, so too did the Jammers but the locals were more on top of their game and by the end had established a lead of as much as 12 points, that was reduced to seven by the end of the third period.
    The fourth period saw all kinds of incidents, extreme protests by the Jammers’ bench from manager to player and with 7:28 to play in the game the Jammers staged a temporary walkout.
    They gathered up their belongings and headed to the exit. However, with some persuasion they returned to the bench.
    The stoppage was for approximately two minutes and in that time, the fans became agitated, the scorers looked confused and the Jammers were in the face of referee Michael Prince, who, after the game was still hostile, even to this Chronicle reporter.
    The cause of the walkout was a double technical foul called against the Jammers.
    The Jammers determined to win with everything going against them broke down the lead to a three-point game, showing their worth, but then they fouled Guyana’s Steve Neils Jr. who nailed both his free throws as Guyana then went up 80-70.
    With 1:36 to go, Andrew Ifill was fouled going to the basket; it looked deliberate.
    He nailed the shots at a crucial time and Guyana led 84-78.
    Lugard Mohan was then fouled as the Jammers worked hard to thwart points and keep the game in their reach. Mohan, who had earlier missed two free throws, nailed one of his latest. The seconds ticked away and Guyana won 88-80. Jammers nailed a reversal dunk in the dying seconds to reach 80, somehow going out with a small bang.
    For Guyana, Andrew Ifill led with 21 points, had one rebound and two steals, Steve Neils Jr. and Terrence James 16 points apiece and Dwayne Roberts 14 points, while Lancelot Loncke had 17 points, pulled down eight rebounds, and had three steals and assists, Dexter Martin 13 points and five rebounds and Sean Baird and Kenny Avent both had eight points for the Jammers.
    At the end of the ‘brutal and eventful’ game Jammers’ manager Dennis Baird praised his players for a job well done.
    He said the temporary walkout was a result of the double technical blown against his team by the referee.
    “We thought it was wrong because two Guyana players bumped into each other on the charge and he blew it against us. It also meant that they (Guyana) would get the foul throws and possession of the ball, which was at a crucial time for us because we were down by five. The calls were blatant.
    We came back to play the game because we wanted to play it out and we thought we could win.”
    Baird said Guyana needed a combination of its ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams to beat them but the Jammers will be back with a youthful team in the future and they will be here for business.
    Guyana’s coach Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan was elated by the win.
    “It was a total team effort and we played hard as a team. Our defence caused problems for the Jammers because they study everybody’s defences after the games; so what we did was to confuse their game plan. We played up and down and man to man in some games and it worked against them.” Cadogan said the game was physical.
    “We stuck to the task, we rebounded well and we worked the ball on the offensive.”
    Referring to the temporary walkout by the Jammers Cadogan said, “In game one we were on the receiving end of the calls but we don’t make the referees an issue. We come out and we play hard, the referee is not a part of the plan.”
    Meanwhile in the opening game of the night, the female Guyana ‘A’ team made a sweep of the three-game tournament when they defeated their ‘B’ counterparts.
    The ‘B’ team looked set for an upset in the first half as they narrowly led 22-21. However, they ran out of steam in the second half as the ‘A’ team won 41-37.
    Natasha Alder had 16 points and Nayota Peters ten for the ‘A’ team while Nichola Jacobs seven points and Tamika Joseph, Delica Mayers and Somia Rodney all had six points apiece for the ‘B’ team.
    Thursday’s action capped six days of intense action at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, which had in its midst the Trinidad and Tobago male team. The tournament was organised by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF)

  • DC Jammers hand Guyana ‘A’ first defeat
  • By Leeron Brumell - JULY 1, 2004
    DC JAMMERS handed the Guyana ‘A’ team their first loss Tuesday night in the International basketball tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
    And Guyana ‘B’ team suffered their second loss at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago in the opening encounter of the double header, in front of a fair-sized and vocal audience.
    For the Jammers it was a rebound victory after going down 69-73 in a thriller to Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.
    The feature game, between the big and often dominant Jammers, was hotly contested with both teams working the ball up and down the court, and by the end of the first half the Washington DC team led 38-32.
    The second half was by far the most exciting part of the contest with several dunks by Guyana’s Andrew Ifill.
    Jammers displayed more discipline in their defensive tactics on a night that probably for the first time in two years saw a player getting fouled out, having accumulated five and Steve Neils Jr’s being off target.
    Guyana’s Rudy James was fouled out with 3:13 in the fourth and final period remaining.
    Guyana had a lackadaisical defence and high turnover rate throughout that game as they seldom positioned themselves for offensive and defensive rebounds, on which the Jammers capitalised.
    After the halfway resumption, the locals reduced the six-point deficit to level the game at 42-all with a marvellous overhead pass from Steve Neils Jr. to Andrew Ifill who ‘rocked’ the ball into the hoop, much to the delight of the crowd, and when the Jammers dunked, there were boos and screams as no one apparently approved of the beating they were inflicting on the top local selection.
    At the end of the third quarter, Jammers led 62-53, while at the end of regulation time they ended at 82-68, after leading by as much as 18 points at one stage as the locals’ shooting was off.
    Darren Ainsworth led with 16, Lancelot Loncke 15, Dexter Martin and Kenny Avent both had eleven, and Reggie King ten for the Jammers.
    Andrew Ifill weighed in with 25 points, Lugard Mohan 12 and Steve Neils Jr. ten points for the Guyana ‘A’ team.
    It seemed as if the upset thriller victory over the Jammers by the Twin Island Republic boys had lifted their game as they sank Guyana’s ‘B’ team’s boat by 12 points in the opening encounter.
    The game was a close encounter with Trinidad & Tobago leading 40-38 at halftime. However, T&T boys shifted gears and went on to win 77-65 being led by Shawn Edwards 21 points, Andy Best 15, David King eleven and Sherland Marshall ten points.
    For the local ‘B’ team Kester Gomes and Marvin Hartman both had 15 points, Rawle Conway 13 and Neil Marks eleven.
    Action was due to continue last evening at the same venue while the finals will be contested this evening to bring six days of action to a close.

  • Disadvantaged Pacesetters win feature ball game...
    ‘Too much energy’ causes disruption
  • By Leeron Brumell - AUGUST 27 2004
    STARTING the final game of the night in the wee hours of yesterday morning, Courts Pacesetters ‘A’ team pulled off a victory against their up-to-strength opponents in the High Energy national five-a-side knockout basketball tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
    Pacesetters defeated New Amsterdam Raptors 36-27, but not before a heated verbal exchange, which lasted well over 15 minutes, took place between the referees, organiser, players and officials at approximately 1:05 hrs.
    The argument ensued after Neilan Loncke who was ejected from an earlier Pacesetters game took the court, but referee Oswin Benjamin presented his case and he was duly supported by another referee Rudolph Sampson.
    Loncke was ejected for fighting with T. Profitt of the Kashif and Shanghai Kings and was not permitted to play in the game and under FIBA rules, once ejected, the player will miss the next team game.
    The management of the Courts Pacesetters noted that though it was so under FIBA rules, it was not posted in the rules governing this tournament.
    The verbal exchange subsided while the game began, Pacesetters ‘A’ with four players and Raptors with a full complement of five players.
    Pacesetters opened with a quick basket but it was answered with one from Raptors until the former had opened a lead of six points 13-7 with under three minutes to play in the first half. It was then that Raptors made their most valiant attempt to restore pride when they diminished the lead to twp points 11-13.
    After the resumption, Raptors gave it their all but Pacesetters went on an eight-point run, 26-18, and took it as far as ten points before triumphing 36-27.
    Trevor Edwards and Jermaine Warde both had 12 points for Pacesetters ‘A’ while Andrew Shako had eight points for the Raptors.
    Pacesetters ‘A’ in their opening game had defeated Kashif and Shanghai Kings 27-19 with Loncke scoring 15 points before his ejection, while Marvin Hartman had eight for Kings.
    Raptors earlier in the evening eliminated the GT Hoyas with a 31-21 victory with T. Bess making 11 points for Raptors and S. Braithwaite 10 for Hoyas.
    In another exciting match-up Bounty Colts ‘B’ beat Wales Vikings 29-21.
    Vikings had opened the game with a beautiful 3-pointer shot, while Colts responded with one of their own until Vikings went on a six-point run to go up 11-5. They, however, lost focus and by the end of the first half trailed 11-17.
    The second half was ill-fated for Vikings and they somehow became intimidated by Colts ‘B’, lost one player via foul-out in Dwayne Harris and never looked into the game after then. They were eliminated.
    Colts ‘B’ were led by A. Smith with 15 points while Q, Garnette had eight and R. McKenzie seven points for Vikings.
    Colts ‘B’ had earlier eliminated Plaisance Clippers 36-33. T Bowen 12 and Trevor McLeoud ten were the top scorers for the winners while K. Thompson had 13 and R. Burnett and C. Wills six points apiece.
    Also eliminated from competition is the GT Jammers who lost 25-39 to Cyber City Rangers.
    M. Benjamin 14 and H. Stuart 11 top scored for Rangers while C. Griffith had ten for the Jammers.
    Play continues this evening at the same venue with Courts Pacesetters ‘A’ meeting Bounty Colts ‘B’ at 19:00 hrs, Pacesetters ‘C’ taking on Pepsi Sonics, Nets ‘B’ tackling Colts ‘A’, Ragles matching skills with East Street Clippers and Ravens battling with Crystals in the other game.

  • City basketball IMC to discuss the transparent AGM
  • AUGUST 26 2004
    THE Interim Management Committee of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) sits today to discuss the future of city basketball.
    Under the auspices of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) three persons were named to oversee the game in Georgetown.
    Seven clubs met at the National Gymnasium on July 28 and were addressed by GABF president Col. (Ret) Godwin McPherson.
    Since then, another set of clubs met at an Annual General Meeting and elected an executive headed by Gary Bowman.
    The committee was to “guide the affairs of the GABA” until elections were held on or before August 8.
    The members will now discuss a transparent AGM, reviving the second and third division leagues and plan seminars on club structure, among other topics.
    Members will later meet clubs.

  • Nets ‘B’ blow away Cobras 44-5 … six other teams eliminated
  • August, 22 2004
    NETS ‘B’ blew away Cobras ‘A’, while six other teams have exited the competition, as play in the High Energy Entertainment Promotions (HEEP) National five-a-side knockout basketball competition continued on Friday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with seven games.
    Nets ‘B’ won 44-5 points at the end of the allotted 15 minutes of play after leading 20-3 at the half-time mark. Jermaine Geddes netted 16, Vanvick Felix 11, Llewllyn Doris seven and Falnum John six for Nets ‘B’.
    In other games, Wales Vikings ‘B’ eliminated Eccles 24-13 with C. Coward ten, R. Fields six and Q. Garrett eight for the Vikings.
    The Nets ‘A’ team did not fare as well as their ‘B’ counterparts losing 28-35 to Crystals.
    Ron Melville led the Crystals with 25 points (a tournament-high score) while Richard Braithwaite and Jose Loncke both had five points. Jermaine McAllister had 19 for the losers.
    In another game East Street Clippers beat Banks DIH ‘B’ 26-21 with Jermaine Marshall netting 14 and Travis La Rose eight for the Clippers while Paul Hyles 10 and Devon Barnwell six were the top scorers for Banks ‘B’.
    Meanwhile, four teams were awarded walkover victories.
    Eagles gained a walkover from the Plaisance Patriots, while Pepsi Sonics, Bounty Colts ‘A’ and Courts Pacesetters ‘A’ were awarded victories after the Linden teams failed to make an appearance.
    Quarterfinal action is set for Wednesday night at the same venue with a number of games from 19:30 hrs.

  • Clippers win five-aside basketball thriller
  • August, 20 2004
    THE Plaisance Clippers won an exciting encounter on Wednesday night when action in the High Energy National five-a-side knockout basketball competition continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
    Clippers, who ended the regulation 15-minute game tied with Grove Warriors 28-all, won 31-30 in sudden death penalty shoot-out, 3-2, from the free throw line.
    In other games GT Jammers beat Wales Vikings 35-30 with Kevin Lawrence netting 12 for the Jammers and E. Boucher 13 for Wales, while New Amsterdam trounced Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation ‘A’ (GPHC) 28-10.
    Theo Bess led with 12 points, while Dwayne Roberts had ten for the winners.
    In yet another game Bounty Colts ‘B’ sent Rose Hall Youth and Sports Club back to the ancient county of Berbice with a 31-18 points thrashing.
    Casey Bowlin 12 and Aubrey Smith 11 were the top scorers for Colts ‘B’, while Cyber City Rangers held on for a 28-27 victory over Scorpions ‘B’. Nigel’s Supermarket were 22-24 winners over the Golden Brook/Sheriff team in the final game of the evening.
    Play continues this evening with seven games at the same venue from 19:30 hrs with three Linden/Georgetown games expected to be of high energy.
    The feature game brings together Courts Pacesetters ‘A’ and Amelia’s Ward Jets, with the main supporting game between Bounty Colts ‘A’ and Retrieve Raiders.
    The first game in the rivalry pits Pepsi Sonics against Half Mile Bulls.
    Other games on the card are Banks DIH ‘B’ meeting East Street Clippers, followed by GPHC ‘B’ meeting Cobras ‘A’ and Nets ‘A’ taking on Crystals.

  • Five-a-side basketball off to exciting start
  • Leeron Brumell - August, 17 2004
    RAVENS, Courts Pacesetters ‘B’ and Kashif & Shanghai Kings set the tone for the High Energy National five-a-side knockout basketball tournament that bounced off Sunday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with some six games.
    Ravens, playing in game five, came through an enthralling battle with Linden’s Wismar Pistons to win 32-28. Kester Gomes had 14 for Ravens and Quincy Jones 15 for the Pistons.
    Courts Pacesetters ‘B’ were five-point winners over the Agricola Raptors in game two, triumphing 31-26, while Linden’s top team Kashif & Shanghai Kings won a very close battle against Beepat Scorpions in game three.
    In other games, Georgetown Hoyas edged out the Hopetown Launchers ‘B’ 15-14, while the Launchers ‘A’ team redeemed the club’s name with a 24-19 victory over Banks DIH.
    Jarel Alleyne had 12 for Launchers, while A. Adams posted ten for Banks.
    The final game of the night saw jolts of energy between West Siders and Courts Pacesetters ‘C’, with the game going down to the wire. Both teams were deadlocked at 17 at the end of the allotted 15 minutes.
    The game then went down to sudden death penalty shoot-out with Pacesetters ‘C’ eventually coming out top, 19-18. Alex Gray had 12 points for Pacesetters.
    The losing teams were eliminated, while Ravens, Georgetown Hoyas, Kings, Courts Pacesetters ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams and Hopetown Launchers ‘A’ advance to the next round.
    Action continues tomorrow at the same venue with seven games, starting at 19:30 hrs.
    Game one brings together New Amsterdam ‘B’ and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ‘B’, followed by Mahaicony ‘B’ and Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) ‘B.’ Rose Hall then come up against Bounty Colts ‘C’, Mahaicony ‘A’ meet Grove Warriors, New Amsterdam ‘A’ and Plaisance Clippers clash, Nigel’s Supermarket take on Golden Brook/Sheriff and Emperors face Plaisance Patriots.
    Director of the High Energy Entertainment Promotion (HEEP), Nigel Worrell, told the Chronicle that registration is still open to teams until 18:00 hrs this evening, since the response is overwhelming.
    Over 40 teams have registered for the tournament that has a top prize of $60 000 for the winners, $40 000 for second place, $20 000 for the third place and $10 000 for the fourth place, with additional prizes for individual outstanding performances.

  • High Energy five-a-side basketball set to be explosive
  • By Leeron Brumell - AUGUST 12 2004
    THE High Energy National five-a-side basketball knockout competition, set to bounce off this weekend at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, will have a record number of teams participating from throughout the length and breath of Guyana.
    According to secretary of the High Energy Entertainment Promotions (HEEP) Frankie Wilson, teams will be drawn from East and West Coast of Berbice, Georgetown, East Coast and East Bank of Demerara, West Demerara, Linden and they are negotiating to get a team from Bartica.
    Additionally, teams from corporations have been invited to participate in NIS, Banks DIH, GPHC, GT&T and NBIC.
    Wilson said that should the Bartica team compete accommodation and transportation arrangements will be made.
    The first-placed team will pocket $60 000, second $40 000, third $20 000 and fourth $10 000 while there will also be individual prizes for top performers.
    Clubs are allowed up to two teams of not more than seven players and games will be of 15 minutes duration -- with one time out per team per half. There will be a break of three minutes between halves.
    To keep the intensity of the game high as well, teams are not allowed to call for a timeout in the final minute of the games.
    Should there be a tie at the end of the 15 minutes, the winner will be decided on a sudden death free throw.
    Additionally should one player be injured in play then four players will remain on the said team, again to add more excitement to the game.
    Wilson said the games will be played under FIBA rules and the organisers have added a few more to add more excitement to the games.
    Director of the promotion group, Nigel Worrell, said that his group aims to provide clean entertainment to the public and to move away from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
    Technical Adviser to the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), which has given its blessings to the tournament, Cecil Chin, said that the tournament should be viewed as a step in the development of the game.
    Chin, now residing in St Vincent, said, "We must take part, because it is not about individual playing but playing as a team and also developing the game.
    I know also that it will be a disciplined tournament and I'm glad I will have a chance to view the players. I have only been reading about them on the internet."
    The tournament has as its major sponsor Sprint 151/Prospective Marketing Communications Limited (PMC) who through their representative, Joy Hart, said that the company was pleased to be associated with the tournament.
    Also coming on board are Western Union, Malta Carib, North American Airlines, Footworks Plus, Global Marketing, Andrew Arts, Robert's Jewellery, Spotlight Productions and Imon Wireless.
    The cost of staging the tournament, which will run for a period of six days, is approximately $1million.
    As side attractions, there will be free throws and slam-dunk competitions for players and spectators and another plus will be a 20-ft screen for instant replays on 'super' shots and plays.
    Representative of the GABF Eon Andrews congratulated HEEP for their initiative since the event should be an annual one and said that the federation will stand behind the group, providing that entertainment will be clean.
    Females have not been included in the fray. However, Wilson said that exhibition games would be arranged for them to showcase their talent.
    Registration costs $1 000 per team and can be done through Wilson on 621-3120 or 226-2691, Worrell on 624-8931 or Sprint 151/PMC office in Forshaw Street, Queenstown between New Garden and Oronoque Streets or 227-1806.
    Security is also in place for the tournament for the safety of everyone.
    Worrell said they would solicit the assistance of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and also private security companies.
    Action bounces off on Sunday August 15 from 19:30 hrs and continues on August 18, 22, 25, 27 and 28.
    Admission to the tournament is $300.

  • City basketball controversy ends? Clubs install new GABA executive
  • By Joe Chapman - August, 09 2004
    CHRIS Bowman was elected president of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) by nine of the ten affiliated clubs during the Annual General Meeting at the Water Chris Hotel, yesterday.
    Jonathan Beepat voted in as vice president, Duane Fowler was returned unopposed as secretary, Merle Jordan who as gained the treasurer’s post unopposed, while Ryad Boyce is the new assistant secretary/treasurer.
    The general council will meet shortly to appoint committee members.
    As promised, the GABA had Attorney-at-law James Bond preside over the meeting where nine of the ten affiliated clubs showed up and ruled in favour of this new body, their representatives - Eagles, Bounty Colts, Courts Pacesetters, Emperors, Patriots, Ravens, Pepsi Sonics, Cyber City Rangers and Scorpions.
    Nets were the only one that failed to show up at the meeting called by the standing GABA secretary Duane Fowler.
    Last week, a release signed by expelled secretary Perry Woolford indicated that a Steering Committee had been installed to run the affairs of GABA following an emergency meeting with the association's executives and clubs.
    It stated that, that meeting was held after a failed meeting with president of GABA Raffel Douglas, in conjunction with the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) on July 22 at the National Gymnasium.
    That release also stated the seven clubs were addressed by GABF president Colonel (Ret) Godwin McPherson and the decision was taken to have this Steering Committee to run basketball in the city on July 28, leading to elections on or before August 8.
    The battle for basketball rulership in Georgetown, arguably the biggest operating centre in Guyana, has been ongoing since former secretary Perry Woolford and former treasurer Eon Andrews were suspended last year, then expelled from GABA.
    This followed a tour to St Lucia by a GABA youth team when Woolford and Andrews were fingered for alleged financial irregularities, but they decided against answering to GABA on the financial impropriety charge.
    However, in a clear indication of their will, nine clubs turned up yesterday to vote into office this new body, in contrast to the seven which was reported, showed favour in allowing a steering committee to function as operatives of GABA.
    In thanking the clubs attending for the confidence they vested in the new executive for a two-year term, Bowman said the intention was to restore basketball in Georgetown to what it was in years gone by.
    Bowman declared that the clubs have spoken and the effort would be one that mirrors team work.
    The new executive will continue the existing relationships with the Linden Amateur Basketball Association.
    “The association in Georgetown cannot operate in isolation, as Georgetown needs Linden, and Linden needs Georgetown and we all need the federation."

  • Five-a-side basketball bounces off
  • August, 07 2004
    COMPETITIVE basketball returns to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, next week Sunday, this time a five-a-side tournament staged by High Energy Entertainment Promotions group (HEEP).
    The competition is expected to attract teams from Linden, West Demerara, Bartica, Georgetown, East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, Hopetown, New Amsterdam and Berbice, battling for six days in 15-minute games.
    The top team will pocket $60 000, while the remaining three places receive $40 000, $20 000 and $10 000, with the highest scorer in each game receiving a prize, while the MVP of the tournament will also pocket a prize.
    There will also be the novelty events - free throws and slam-dunk competition for players and spectators.
    The competition is expected to bring out the cream of the country’s players who were last involved in competitive action some two months ago when the DC Jammers and Trinidad and Tobago teams visited for a Goodwill Series.
    The shorter version of the game aims to bring out the raw talent and skill of the players.
    Teams are allowed a maximum of seven players. The entrance fee is $1 000 and registration can be done with organisers Frankie Wilson on 621-3120 or 226-2691 and Nigel Worrell on 624-8921 or 226-7881.
    Wilson told Chronicle Sport that the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has sanctioned the competition.
    Wilson added that the promotion group was looking at bringing clean entertainment to the country and the spectators could look forward to more exciting competitions in the future.

  • Controversy again hits city basketball
  • Leeron Brumell  - August, 04 2004
    … Steering Committee named, GABA secretary declares it unauthorised.
    THREE persons were named to ‘guide’ the affairs of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA), but standing GABA secretary declared the move “unauthorised”.
    The names were released, yesterday, by ousted GABA secretary Perry Woolford. They are David Carto, an executive of Banks DIH Limited, Pastor David De Caires and Michael Kirton of Celstar.
    According to Woolford, the members are tasked with meeting the clubs to sensitise them on the upcoming elections; to ensure that only financial members can vote; to be advised of the two members representing the club at the Annual General Meeting (AGM); to ensure the minutes of the last AGM and reports of the president, secretary and treasurers are available to be presented at the meeting; to consider amendments to the constitution and any special business of which due notice must be given.
    Woolford stated that the committee was put into action after GABA and the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) had summoned GABA president, Raffel Douglas, to a meeting at the National Gymnasium last month, but he failed to show up.
    Thus the GABA executives and GABF president Colonel (Ret) Godwin McPherson met with seven clubs who voted to put a steering committee in place.
    However, Woolford and former treasurer Eon Andrews were expelled from the GABA, after a number of financial and other irregularities were uncovered following an Under-19 tour to St Lucia last year.
    Duane Fowler was inserted as secretary and Rayad Boyce as treasurer.
    Fowler, yesterday, told Chronicle Sport that Woolford was not authorised to call and make any pronouncements on behalf of GABA, declaring that Woolford’s release was highly inaccurate.
    Fowler said Woolford, Andrews and the GABF did not meet with the GABA executives and the clubs could not have voted for a steering committee since they were preparing for elections this weekend at Waterchris Hotel with ten clubs casting votes.
    The clubs are Patriots, Bounty Colts, Courts Pacesetters, Cyber City Rangers, Pepsi Sonics, Nets, Scorpions, Emperors, Ravens and Eagles.
    But Chronicle Sport also contacted ‘ousted’ treasurer Andrews who confirmed that they had in fact met with the GABA executives and the seven clubs to put the steering committee in place, with everyone present agreeing on the move.

  • Steering committee to administer GT basketball
  • August, 01 2004
    A THREE-member committee has been set up to run the affairs of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) following an emergency meeting with the association’s executives.
    The names of the persons on the committee, who will administer until general elections are held on or before August 8, will be announced tomorrow.
    According to a GABA release, the committee’s tasks will include meeting with the clubs to sensitise them on the upcoming elections; ensure that only financial members can vote; be advised of the two members representing the club at the Annual General Meeting (AGM); ensure the minutes of the last AGM is available; and reports of the president, secretary and treasurers are available to be presented at the meeting; consider amendments to the constitution and any special business of which due notice must be given.
    The committee was set up following a failed meeting with president of GABA, Raffel Douglas, who is wanted for extradition in the USA.
    The GABA disclosed that in conjunction with the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), it had written Douglas summoning him to a meeting on July 22 at the National Gymnasium, but he did not show up, thus a meeting was called with the affiliated clubs.
    On July 28, some seven clubs attended the meeting and were addressed by GABF head Col. Godwin McPherson (Ret.).
    The GABA said it was particularly anxious about the image and reputation of basketball in Georgetown.

  • K&S Kings clash with Wismar Pistons in LABA final
  • By Joe Chapman - September 29 2004
    KASHIF and Shanghai Kings will, after all, contest the Linden Amateur Basketball Association's Open Knockout basketball final against the Wismar Pistons this evening at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) hard court.
    The Kings earned the right to the final after the replay of the semifinal match was discontinued against nemesis Victory Valley Royals. That tough semifinal encounter which had 1:06 left in the second half was called off after bottles were thrown onto the playing area, for the second time, making it impossible to continue, two Sundays ago.
    The continuation was later called off, last Wednesday, on request from the Royals in writing who opted out of contention also for the third position against Alleyne's Retrieve Raiders.
    This evening's match is scheduled for 20:00 hrs when the Kings, led by national players Steve Neil's (Jr.) and Marvin Hartman, should be a tough nut for the Wismar Pistons, following their win against Victory Valley Royals.
    To reach the final the Pistons throttled their way past favourites Alleyne's Retrieve Raiders behind the big scoring from downtown off forward Nolan Clarke who pumped in 35 tournament-high points which included five 3-pointers.
    Clarke could once again be the catalyst on which the Pistons hinge their hopes of a major title for the first time in years. Their opponents the Kings, however, must be complimented for rallying back after being down in their game against the Royals 27-39.
    The Kings resolve has reflected just how gutsy they can become even in the face of adversity and the Wismar Pistons should be conscious that winning with Clarke's perimeter alone, would be asking too much.
    Clarke's support should come from a new cast of players which would include Ron Wilson who may be asked to play out of position to stop Kings. The first game of this double-header evening begins at 18:00 hrs with Karabow taking on Silver Nets.

  • Linden basketball semifinal replay resumes
  • By Joe Chapman - SEPTEMBER 22, 2004
    KASHIF & Shanghai Kings and Victory Valley Royals will, this evening, complete the remaining 1:06 minutes in the Linden Open knockout basketball semifinal replay that was halted abruptly, when glass bottles were hurled unto the bitumen surface of the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court on Sunday.
    The second half stoppage came as the Kings had dramatically taken the lead and were ahead 59-52 when fans decided to end play. In fact it was the second stoppage, the first coming at 1:28 remaining when the first bottle was thrown on the playing area.
    The other stoppage followed when a substance was sprayed into a section of the crowd, leaving spectators including children in arms, running for protection after they encountered a burning to the eyes and nose, in addition to breathing properly.
    The Linden Amateur Basketball Association met on Monday in an emergency meeting and after due consideration on the Official Basketball Rules of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), in accordance with advice from the governing Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), took the decision to have the game continue with the remaining 1:06 to play and involving the same officials and players who were on the roster for the game when it came to a premature end.
    It means that both teams must ensure the same players appear in today's match that will determine the team to face Wismar Pistons, winner of the other semifinal game against Alleyne's Retrieve Raiders, in the final.
    Special security arrangements are being considered to ensure the completion of this game. But bearing in mind the conduct of some fans in the large crowd which had turned out for the game on Sunday a second option is for no fans be allowed into the vicinity of the playing area.
    It is also on the cards that measures would be taken in the court of law should anyone attempt to stop the game from being completed as schedule.
    LABA president Oswald Quamina and his executive apologise to the general public and those who attended the game for the discomfort caused and are seeking not to have such a recurrence in the future.
    However, an official of the LABA said there were arrangements for four police officers to be present at the game. He said it was hoped that there would be no further disruption and felt the onus was on clubs also to guide the supporters into not getting emotionally involved in game.
    The first semifinal game result between the two teams was cancelled by the LABA, after Royals had geared up a player who they were advised should not be included in their line-up two Sundays ago.
    The Royals had won that game, but a decision was taken to replay the game without that player although the Association could have awarded the game to the Kings.

  • Bottle-throwing stops replayed Kings, Royals semifinal
  • By Joe Chapman
    WITH one minute six seconds remaining and Kashif and Shanghai Kings ahead, 59-52, bottles rained on the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) hard court, rendering it unsafe to continue the replayed semifinal game between the Kings and Victory Valley Royals on Sunday night.
    The ‘grudge match’ became necessary after the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) ordered the match to be replayed, following the Royals’ referral of a matter to them.
    The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) had requested that the match be played over, as the Royals team who actually won the semi-final game by 14 points, were denied the victory because they disregarded the advice by the LABA not to play Dwayne Roberts in that game.
    This decision saw an appeal by Royals to the GABF head, Colonel McPherson, who stated that the match should have been awarded to the Kings, based on the action by the Royals club. The GABF boss then advised that the game be replayed. Dwayne Roberts, who was involved in a controversial transfer is to be part of an investigation.
    The Royals were seen as favourites to win the game and looked in good like winners taking a comfortable halftime 39-27 lead.
    But the Kings were resilient in their response and showed urgency with a 10- 0 run in the first seven minutes of the second half as they to trail 37-39 and Timothy Alonzo's free throw saw them behind 38-39.
    But sniper forward Troy Jeffrey nailed his third 3-point shot. It was the Royals in flight 44-38 with 12.01 to go.
    Then forward Seon Charles brought Kings back into focus when he tied the scores with one from beyond the arc at 44 and another basket by him nudged them ahead Then Neils cannoned from behind three-point territory to open the advantage 55-46. The first of two stoppages came with Kings in front 57-50. A bottle was hurled onto the court stopping the game for two minutes with 1:28 to go. The court was swept of the broken bottles and play resumed but with 1:06 still remaining bottles began to fly onto the court again and the officials had no choice but to call off the game.
    In that game Neils had 18 points, Omalli Sampson 12 and Seon Charles 10 for the Kings while Alwyn Wilson with 17 sand Troy Jeffrey 13 were the top players for the opposition. LABA met last night to come up with a decision on the game.
    The final was originally set for Friday with the Wismar Pistons awaiting the winner of this game after beating Alleyne's Retrieve Raiders in the other semi-final match.

  • Pistons and Royals shock out top seeds Raiders and Kings
  • By Joe Chapman September, 15 2004
    TWO more upsets were seen as Wismar Pistons shooting guard Nolan Clarke buried five 3-pointers to get rid of tournament favourites Alleyne's Retrieve Raiders 78-76 in one semi-final game while shooting forward Troy Jeffrey, with four 3-pointers, shot his team Victory Valley Royals into the final by eliminating second-ranked Kashif and Shanghai Kings with a 77-63 victory, Sunday night, at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) hard court.
    In front of a sellout MSC crowd and showing the kind of form that have made them strong contenders throughout this tournament, returning clubs Victory Valley Royals in the second game impressed observers by soundly beating Kings, while the Pistons maintained their form in disposing of the Retrieve Raiders.
    Playing with a will to prove they are once against in the top tier of basketball in Linden, the Royals showed their absence from the game for over a year had little effect.
    Sniper Jeffrey led their charge with a game-high 20 points as he nailed shots from beyond the arc with adequate support coming from guard Julius Gardener who got 13 points, while solid support came from Anson Durant who got 10 points.
    Significant in the Royals’ line-up was returning centre Dwayne Roberts with 10 points but his insertion has raised eyebrows concerning his eligibility to play, since he last appeared in a Kings outfit.
    The Royals were ahead at the break 38-35 and maintained their pressure in containing the Kings’ top player Steve Neils Jr. who had to settle for 14 points.
    But their other leading player Marvin Hartman was also in good touch but could not pull the Kings to overcome the swarming challenge of the Royals.
    Hartman finished with a top score for his team of 20 points, which included four 3-point shots, and Seon Charles added 10 for the Kings.
    In the first game Wismar Pistons improved their game and were deservedly winners over the Linden champions, Alleyne's Retrieve Raiders, by a basket.
    By the halfway mark Pistons were leading 51-40 and held on to win 78-76 as Clarke, showing fine form, scored a tournament-high 35 points and teammate Quacy Jones, 20, in their winning cause.
    Terrence Goddette was the leading scorer for the Raiders with 19 points as national forward Neil Marks was held to 15 points.

  • GABA outlines two-year plan … key fronts identified for development
  • By Leeron Brumell - September, 15 2004
    THE newly elected executives of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) have outlined a two-year plan for the development and return to normalcy of the sport in the country.
    Speaking at the association’s first press conference yesterday, president of the association, Chris Bowman, said that the vision is to create a seamless structure for the benefit of all participants, clubs, coaches, administrators and supporters, addressing barriers to participation, retention and progression.
    Bowman, who was voted into office on August 8 last at the association’s AGM at the Waterchris Hotel, noted that like all other sports, there are economic difficulties faced by participants of the basketball fraternity.
    “Basketball is not a luxury, but it is a crucial building block for scores of young people. Unfortunately basketball has slipped from a potential leadership position in sport in Guyana in terms of participation, stability, governance and the quality and consistency of programmes and competition.”
    He said that a number of changes would be made to basketball in all areas that will affect everyone and everything for the betterment of all.
    “This is not just about changes in one area of the sport that only benefits one set of people, rather this is about improving the quality of everything we do in basketball from grassroots, community-based participation, school programmes through to the national and regional levels.”
    This, Bowman’s executives believe will not only develop the Georgetown area but the national body as a whole.
    Bowman, coach of the Patriots Academy of Plaisance, East Coast of Demerara, also noted that there is a greater need for more indoor and outdoor facilities, while approaches should be made to develop playing areas in the rural communities.
    “Most of the existing courts are located in urban areas, while very little has been done to develop the game in the rural areas. It is undoubtedly evident that basketball has the potential of being one of the leading sports. This however requires much groundwork.”
    He outlined the steps to development: “the first areas of our focus are the creation of stronger clubs and competition structures in Georgetown and recognising and involving all stakeholders in this process.
    “The next step will be acting upon realistic targets.”
    Bowman and his executives have identified some eight priority areas which are to create a new governance and management structure for GABA, developing stronger club organisation and structures, remodelling the local competition structures, focusing on creating girls’ and junior basketball development opportunities, building relationships with clubs, sub-associations, federations and stakeholders, addressing the quality of coaching at all levels, focusing on referee and officials training and facilities upgrade.
    Treasurer of GABA, Rayad Boyce, said that since the body was elected to office they have met president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Colonel (Ret) Godwin McPherson and the relationship is open and cordial.
    GABA also took the initiative to meet the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of GABA and to date they’ve only met Michael Kirton who has acknowledged the authority of the executives and has given his firm support.
    Informal meetings were held with clubs and their representatives to update, instruct and guide them on policies and among the issues discussed were affiliation and registration of clubs, which has been extended to September 20, player transfer policy and tournament sanctioning guidelines.
    Following a general meeting for affiliated members on September 26, the 2004-2005 season begins with first and third division and national schools’ competition, which should be annual events.
    Other programmes planned are seminars for referees and table officials, coaches and potential coaches and players.
    A resource committee has been established to give counsel and practical support to the executives with the planning and execution of key programmes. The members are Robert Cadogan, Dennis Clarke and Vijay Panday, while three others will be named at a later date.

  • West beat East 79-64 … Kerr, Wright, Jackman take novelty title
  • By Leeron Brumell September, 13 2004
    THE Western side of the Supligen-sponsored second annual Junior All Stars Night triumphed over their Eastern counterparts in a closely contested game, 79-64, while Daniel Kerr took the Mr Three-pointer title, Quincy Jackman the Under-6ft slam dunk title and Carl Jackman the Over-6ft slam dunk title at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday night.
    The All Star game was scheduled to be the hallmark event of the night but was overshadowed by the dunk-out minutes earlier.
    The games were hotly contested as East, coached by Phillip George and Chris Bowman, opened up with four quick points and held the lead until West drew level on 10-all with 12 minutes 40 seconds left to play in the 20-minute first half.
    West then took the lead but East bounced back to level it at 23-all and then took a halftime 34-31 lead.
    Then came the half-time show of singers. Only they understood what they were singing as the acoustics in the venue does not permit for singing, while the DJ could not have done a better job - the microphones had too much bass in them which he did not recognise - in short, last week’s halftime show was much clearer than on Saturday night’s.
    After the resumption, the juniors continued their plays. They were not as explosive as the seniors but they evoked and ‘hyped’ the crowd with their crossovers, behind the back blind passes and creative plays.
    West took the lead 44-42 with an accurate three-point shot and never looked back as they then played basic basketball ball to extend and win comfortably. Quincy Wright, Kevin Thompson and Ryan Stephney all netted 13 points, and Coel Marks 12 for West, while Melroy Browne had 19, Carl Jackman 16 and Ryan Burnette and Ramon Cornelius eight apiece for East.
    In the novelty events, Michael Kerr ‘drained’ 13 three-point shots in the final to claim the Mr. Three-pointer title defeating Stephney who nailed 10 shots, Cornelius nine and Enoch Matthews seven being the other finalists.
    The 8ft dunk-out, for players less than 6ft tall was by far the most exciting.
    It featured four players, Wright, Sheldon Braithwaite, Jacob Lowe and John Fraser.
    Lowe and Fraser were eliminated in the first round. Wright by far had the most spectacular dunk of the evening - taking off the ground, passing the ball between his legs in mid-air and slamming it into the basket with authority. It was a dunk to see, and the 20-ft instant slow-motion replays made it all the more enjoyable to watch.
    However in the final, Wright could not produce anything spectacular as in the first round. Wright tried a back flip and then attempted to dunk the ball into the basket but failed and Braithwaite won the competition with a 180-degree one-handed dunk.
    Braithwaite, a crowd-pleaser gave Wright a chance to take the title from him, putting the incentives on the line and Wright won it, but in a shabby fashion. Braithwaite offered to go at it again for one last time, Wright declined.
    The taller players provided laughs and attracted boos. One dunker attempted to dunk over a hurdle, but slipped, and after two failed attempts and uncontrollable laughter from the crowd he used a lower hurdle with the same result. He skipped the hurdle and could not get the ball into the hoop.
    Jackman won the competition from Jason Warde after they both got similar scores in the final.
    Jackman nailed an off-the-backboard one-handed dunk and enjoyed some ‘air time’ while hanging from the ring, while Warde gave a reverse double-handed dunk.
    The rest is history as there were the two-player quick-bucks event for the fans and music throughout the night, to give the atmosphere that all-star night feeling.
    The senior All-star night sponsored by Banks Mini Malta was contested on September 4 at the same venue.

  • Guyana lose basketball series to Suriname
  • By Leeron Brumell - September. 08 2004
    GUYANA’S Under-19 male and female teams lost both games to their Suriname counterparts over the weekend in a two-game goodwill series at the Ismay Van Wigen Sports Hall.
    Information communicated to Chronicle Sport by manager Eon Andrews stated that the men were blown away 119-49 in game one on Saturday night, with Ryan Gullen scoring 12 points and pulling down ten rebounds, Melroy Browne nine points, Jermaine Lovell nine points and 13 rebounds and Carl Jackman 12 rebounds.
    Browne was ejected from the game for a ‘flagrant foul’, which Andrews said was not worthy of ejection.
    In game two, the Guyana team recorded better performances despite the loss. Suriname triumphed 90-73 with Gullen netting 24 points while having 15 rebounds, Browne 14 points and 10 assists, Ryan Stephney 19 points, Carl Jackman eight points and 13 rebounds and Lovell seven points and ten rebounds.
    Browne, after a protest from the Guyana management, was allowed to play in the final game after the Surinamese administration had earlier refused to let him play.
    Andrew said that the Guyana contingent threatened to walk out of the venue since there was no such ruling in the tournament and FIBA.
    The Guyana female players were outclassed, in the venue that was packed to capacity.
    They lost the first game 37-77 with Natasha Alder scoring 10 points and six rebounds, Sonia Rodney five points, Kene Andrews nine rebounds and Latoya Rodney seven rebounds.
    In game two Guyana lost 44-108 with Alder 14 points and seven rebounds, Sonia Rodney 12 points and seven rebounds, Andrews ten points and 13 rebounds and Latoya Hamilton eight rebounds.
    Andrews said one player Sheneza Atwell was elbowed in the nose in game two while Andrews, having to play an entire game, suffered severe back spasms. Both had to seek medical attention.
    The manager said when one sits to consider the series; two things come to mind;
    “Creating opportunities for players to play more and improve because the sounds that the crowd made were against the Guyanese, especially the chants that came over the loud speakers.
    “And the girls need a lot of work because we can’t expect them to perform at the highest level and win without a miracle.”
    Andrew said that it was evident that the Dutch place a lot of emphasis on their junior players, especially the women since they have a female league consisting of some 10 teams.
    The manager said that a price had to be paid to assess where the country’s basketball was at, and he was pleased with the exposure.
    He said that they plan to host the juniors at Easter of 2005 and it was agreed by both parties that more games should be played between the two countries. Andrews, an active veteran player, paid tribute to the coaches and players and the Surinamese for their hospitality. The team left Guyana on Friday and returned home on Monday.

  • West beat East in All Star Night …Ifill, Gomes take novelty events
  • By Leeron Brumell - September. 06 2004
    THE West senior team beat their East counterparts 80-74 on Saturday night when the Beepat’s Scorpions second annual All Star Night got off to a hot and exciting start at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, in front of a reasonably sized and vocal crowd.
    And Andrew Ifill claimed the Mr. Three-pointer title, while Kester Gomes is the new Mr. Dunk.
    The game which was the feature event on the cards for the Banks Mini Malta senior category of the event was hotly contested from the first whistle as the best Georgetown players took to the court to entertain and thrill the fans who were hyped not only by the blaring sounds of the latest and top songs on the hip/hop and R&B charts, but also the tremendous dunking of the ball into the rings.
    West signaled their intention from the outset racking up four quick points, but it was not until Andrew Ifill of the East team rocked the entire arena with a powerful alley hoop dunk to register his team’s first points the crowd got into the game.
    West then continued along adding easy points through Kelvin Simon who netted 26 points through his trademark lay ups that evoked boos from the crowd. It did not matter to him…he was doing what he was put on the court to do…score points.
    The first half of the 40-minute game was the most exciting, with players trying all sorts of dunks, passes, dribbles and intense showboating, it indeed was worth watching, then came the half time show with West leading 43-29.
    It added flair, colour and much excitement to the arena coming onto the midnight hour.
    ‘Times Two’ the combination of local singer Adrian Dutchin and Jomo of Bryron Lee and the Dragonaries - belting their latest hit ‘Crazy’ and indeed there was craziness in the venue.
    The artistes were introduced by basketball player Sheldon Braithwaite to the screams and cheers of the fans as they made a ‘class act’ entrance.
    The singers did their stuff centre court with nine female dancers decked out in white, teasing and tantalizing the fans.
    Then came the second half of the game, it begged for support and excitement as the players seemed to have lost their will to play, and of course the usual followed. The fans filed out in droves with just a handful left and the rest is history as the night ended with triumph for West 80-74.
    Rawle Williams 14, Neilan Loncke 13 and Jermaine Warde 12 were the other significant contributors for the winners.
    For the East team Andrew Ifill netted 27, Kurt Elias 18 and Rawle Conway 12.
    In the novelty events Andrew Ifill shot his way through three-rounds to come out with the Mr. Three-Pointer title, dethroning 2003 winner along the way, Sheldon Braithwaite. Ifill netted 13 baskets in the one-minute time period allowed.
    Meanwhile, the tall and slimly built Kester Gomes won the Slam Dunk Competition.
    The first round saw seven competitors, while it was scaled to four in the second with Jomo Agustine, Gomes, Kevin Lowe and Dwayne Garraway doing battle for the title and the incentives that go with it.
    Garraway failed to make an impression, so two did Agustine. Lowe, a Guyanese-attending the Kings Borrow College completed a one handed dunk from outside the free throw line, but he was overshadowed by the more experienced Gomes.
    Gomes did a reverse dunk over a fan on his cell phone, who was sitting in a chair under the ring, the fans went wild.
    It was clear he was going to take the crown.
    Lowe and Gomes were down to a face off, with Lowe required to do the same routine that Gomes was about to attempt.
    Gomes first attempted a round-the-body-pass with the ball for a reversal dunk, but failed. He then did a reverse two-handed dunk and Lowe could not make it.
    As part of the fun of the night, spectators were allowed to shoot the ball into the hoop to win monetary prizes while national squash player Chantelle Fernandes the lucky ticket holder attempted two shots for the half court $100,000 prize, but missed both.
    The junior segment of the championship, which is sponsored by Supligen, is set for Saturday September 11 at the same venue from 18:00 hrs with the same format being followed. The junior division had to be shifted since the majority of the players are in Suriname for the Inter-Guiana games. They are expected back today.

  • Royals mark return with ominous 100-68 thrashing of Sixers
  • By Joe Chapman September, 05 2004
    LED by the superb shooting from forward Troy Jeffrey who poured in six 3-point shots in his game-high 26 points and quarter-backing by point guard Julius ‘J’ Gardner with 18 points, wild card entrants Victory Valley Royals marked their return to competitive basketball after a one-year absence, with a comprehensive 100-68 points win against Seventy-Sixers.
    Blueberry Hill Blazers also won, beating Silver Nets 54-50, in the opening match of the 2004 Linden Amateur Basketball Association's open knockout competition, which got under way Friday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.
    Following a week's delay caused by the unavailability of the facility, the unseeded Victory Valley Royals, playing their first game since being suspended for misconduct, started off showing no signs of rust, with a 12-2 jump in the opening minutes before the Sixers settled into a rhythm. But by the end of the first half the Royals had a comfortable 42-31 lead.
    It was, however, the accuracy of the perimeter shooting of the former champions of Linden that raised eyebrows as Jeffrey led the way with his outside shooting and Julius Gardner, who played the position of guard, was instrumental in their winning performance.
    In the second half Royals had outpaced the Sixers within the first five minutes, with a 23-2 points run then held advantage 65-33 as Jeffrey nailed back-to-back three-point shots, with five minutes gone in the second half. And as Royals turned on the pressure with a further ten points against five by Sixers to lead 75-58 in the ensuing five minutes, the only question was the margin of victory for the Victory Valley Royals side. Rolling down to game time Royals led 87-47 and in the end reached the 100-point plateau before the final whistle was blown.
    With the return of Alwyn Wilson to the fold, the Royals now present themselves as a force and their quarterfinal match against third ranked Amelia's Ward Jets next Wednesday should be an interesting affair.
    Apart from Jeffrey with 26 and Gardner 18, Seon Harris and Mervin Tyrell each scored 10 and Wilson nine points for the Royals.
    Forward Desmond Chin led the scoring for the Sixers with 17 points, Damon Allen netted 15 and Orville McKoy got 12.
    In the hard-fought 54-50 win by Blazers over the nets Sando Dickenson had 24 points with Mark Douglas 16, the next best performer. A. Moore was the best player for Nets with 14 points while Keith Moore contributed eight.
    The competition continues this evening with another double-header at the MSC hard court.
    In the first game Scheme Unit face Amelia's Ward Falcons at 18:00 hrs while the second between Blazers and Alleyne's Retrieve Raiders is at 20:00 hrs.
    The two top-ranked teams for this competition are Alleyne's Retriever Raiders and the Kashif and Shanghai Kings.
    The referees for the first game each day are Ronald Grogan, Norris King and Lloyd Ross. Carl Thomas and Sherwin Henry will carry the second match with Joe Chapman as standby.

  • HIGH PRIZES...High Energy basketball winners receive prizes
  • September, 04 2004
    THE top four finishers in the first annual national five-a-side knockout basketball tournament have received their prizes.
    The various winners were presented with their cheques and trophies at the Sprint 151/PSC office in Forshaw Street, Queenstown yesterday by president of High Energy Entertainment, Nigel Worrell, the organisers of the competition.
    Ravens claimed the top spot after they defeated Cyber City Rangers in the final on Wednesday, 23-18.
    Ravens collected $60 000 and a trophy, Rangers $40 000 and a trophy, while Bounty Colts ‘A’ beat Courts Pacesetters ‘A’ in the third place playoff, 30-27.
    Colts received $20 000 and a trophy, while Pacesetters collected $10 000 and a trophy. The MVP of the tournament was Darcel Harris of Ravens while the highest goal scorer in a single game was Ron Melville of Crystals. He scored 25 points playing against Nets.
    The tournament, which will be an annual event, was sponsored by Ansa McAL, Western Union, PMC/Sprint 151, Footworks Plus, Global Marketing, Spotlight Productions and Robert’s Jewellery.
    The tournament was played over a period of six days and attracted over 50 teams from Georgetown, East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, Linden, West Coast and West Bank of Demerara.

  • Ravens claim High Energy title
  • September, 3 2004
    RAVENS have ended the first annual High Energy Entertainment Promotions (HEEP) the top team after a hard and explosive final night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Wednesday.
    After getting past Bounty Colts ‘A’ in the first semifinal game of the evening, Ravens took on the other semifinal winner Cyber City Rangers who also upset pre-game favourites Courts Pacesetters ‘A’.
    After a close first half between Ravens and Rangers, the former led 12-11 but shifted into high gear in the final 7.5-minute period to triumph 23-18.
    Ravens by virtue of the win will receive $60 000 and a trophy while Rangers will get $40 000.
    In the third place game Colt ‘A’ got past Pacesetters ‘A’ 30-27 to claim the $20 000 prize and trophy. Fourth-placers receive $10 000.
    The presentation of prizes will be done today at the Sprint 151 office at 15:00 hrs.
    Secretary of HEEP, Frankie Wilson, said that the national five-a-side tournament would be an annual feature on the calendar since the response by teams has been overwhelming.
    Over 50 teams were involved in the tournament from the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, Georgetown, Linden, West Bank and West Coast of Demerara and Berbice.
    Wilson said the tournament also brought about a change in dominators of the game while noting that it also brought talent and gave players a chance to play competitive basketball.

  • Guyana, Suriname clash in junior basketball
  • September, 2 2004
    GUYANA will field both male and female basketball teams for a Goodwill tour to Suriname, this weekend, as the basketball bodies of the two countries seek to revive the Inter-Guiana Games.
    The local teams will clash in two games on Saturday and Sunday. The touring party leaves tomorrow and is expected back on Monday.
    On Tuesday, the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) met selectors and the teams were selected.
    The male team: Kelvin Azore, Dennis Anderson, Carl Jackman, Akini Mars, Ryan Stephney, Melroy Browne, Ryan Gullen, Jermaine Lovell, Cleon Levans, Jason Warde, Travis Foster and Jaime Mayers.
    Azore and Anderson were named co-captains and Carl Gordon the coach.
    The females: Natasha Alder, Tamika Joseph, Sonia Rodney, Kene Andrews, Maria Reid, Kenisha Thomas, Sheneza Atwell, Latoya Hamilton, Natasha Primo and Latoya Rodney.
    Alder and Joseph were named co-captains and Brian Carter the coach.
    The tour manager is Eon Andrews, while Rudolph Sampson is the referee with Lavern Fraser-Thomas as the chaperone.
    There will be a final briefing for players this evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from at 19:00 hrs.
    Guyana’s men last won the Inter-Guiana Games basketball in 2001 when the event was staged here, but since then the Games had been put on the back burner, also, affecting athletics and swimming.
    The Games, initiated by the governments of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana for Under-19 school athletes in the 1970s, became dormant and was resuscitated in 1993. In the early years, track & field events were the hallmark of the annual meet.
    Guyana and Suriname clashed in a basketball exhibition series during the 1993 Games hosted by Suriname as the governing bodies of the two countries sought to have discipline included in the Games.
    Again the GABF and the Suriname association have been in discussions since 2003 and have succeeded in reviving basketball at the junior level, hoping that it would lead to the Games being.