The highly-anticipated Sec-ondary Schools Basketball League got underway yesterday at the Burnham Court on Carmichael and Middle Streets but rain threw a damper on the proceedings.
Scattered but steady showers hampered play throughout the day with the interruptions beginning from as early as the first game between Christ Church Secondary and St John’s College. Over 30 public and private schools totalling some 800 student athletes are scheduled to take part in the tournament which the executive of the Guyana Secondary Schools Basket-ball Association (GSSBA) says has the potential to impact over 40,000 school-aged fans. The GSSBA says it intends not only to advance amateur sport and the development of ‘whole’ youths in Guyana, but will also provide tutoring services for academically challenged athletes in addition to providing entrepreneurship training to interested senior level athletes who wish to start their own businesses upon completing secondary school. Apart from the Christ Church Secondary/St. John’s College battle, Bishop’s High School was down to take on Tutorial High while St. Mary’s High was scheduled to face Brickdam Secondary.
The matches have been rescheduled for today but given the rain interruption Stabroek Sport understands that an approach is to be made to the Department of Sport for use of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall for the hosting of what promises to be the largest schools basketball project ever in this country.
