Ministry offsets significant cost of GABF teams attending CARICOM C/ships

Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation President (GABF) President Nigel Hinds said a significant portion of the team’s funding for the 2015 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships has been offset by the Ministry of Education through its Sports Ministry.

Hinds during an invited comment with Stabroek Sports said the money, which is for both the male and female teams, has been approved by the Ministry of Education and is currently being processed by the Ministry of Finance following further approval by the Ministry of the Presidency.

He disclosed that the funding will offset the finances for both teams’ travel and accommodation as well as several local preparatory expenses for the championship.

Nigel Hinds
Nigel Hinds

Asked about the status of the teams’ preparation, Hinds said that the training was progressing well and that sessions will be increased shortly to daily practice as time winds down towards the start of the championships.

According to the GABF chief, several overseas players are expected to join the respective training squads between the timeline of May 31st-June 1st.

On the male side, John Ashley, Keiron McKenzie and siblings Jordan and Delroy James are expected to be a part of the training setup while Ginelle Ifill, Mariam McKenzie and Marissa Lewis will feature in the women’s training squad.

The event, which will be staged in the British Virgin Islands from June 16th-20th, will pit Guyana in group-A alongside Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and Bermuda. The two top teams in the group will qualify for the championship’s final four section.

Guyana finished fifth at the 2014 edition of the CBC championships held in the same nation. The local male side in their recent international outings, lost an away series to Suriname by a 1-2 margin while they defeated Bermuda 3-0 during the month of March at home.