-Linden-Georgetown rivalry resumes
By Rawle Toney
For the sixth year in succession, the Supligen All-Star Weekend which is scheduled for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on October 25 and 26 was officially launched at a simple ceremony held yesterday at the Beepat building in Georgetown.
At yesterday’s launch, the sponsors committed themselves to next year’s event.
Brand representative from Beepat’s Alicia Braithwaite expressed her company’s satisfaction with the staging of the event over the years. She added that the event has been good to them financially.
Prize money for the games was not disclosed but the organisers were keen to note that it will be very lucrative for the players.
They pointed out that this was the only event where the players were paid to play regardless of whether their team won or lost.
The event will feature some of the country’s top junior and senior basketballers from Linden and Georgetown in the All-Star Games, three-point shoot-out and the ever popular Slam Dunk competitions.
The event promises fans exciting basketball with flare and style not commonly seen at the regular version of the game.
The Wild Fire Production Group will stage the event and according to a member of the group, Vijay Panday, the teams for the event have not yet been named by the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) and the Georgetown Basketball Association (GABA).
Panday said that Linden’s preparation will start this weekend with the short-listing of players from the various clubs in the area and the LABA will be staging its own All-Star game on October 18 at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court to select its final team.
However the same could not be said about the GABA unit since Panday mentioned that this year will be the first time that the GABA will be responsible for selecting the Georgetown team. In the past the organizers had handpicked some of the city’s best players to form its All-Star team, but this year they have handed that responsibility to the GABA.
No word has since been relayed to the organizers and Panday said that the deadline for the association to reply to them is Friday. It is understood that the new executive is grappling with the loss of former Courts Pacesetters player Kevin Worrell who died Sunday last after collapsing on the Burnham Court.
Secretary of the Wild Fire Production Group Jermaine Softley said this year’s event unlike the previous years will not see any overseas participation in the Slam Dunk Event which was won by Steven “Lighter” Lewis of Trinidad and Tobago last year.
Since he first participated in the 2006 All-Star Week where he placed second to Kester Gomes, Lewis had won the hearts of many basketball fans and enthusiasts with his electrifying high flying dunks. However, according to Softley, Lewis who also claimed last year’s MVP award in the senior All-star game, will return at this year’s tournament as a player, but it is not yet known which team he will play on.
The organizers are urging all dunkers to make contact with them.
The Wild Fire Entertainment group has promised a surprise artiste to perform during the half time of the senior Slam Dunk championship on October 25.
Security will be at a maximum and the organizers said they will not tolerate smoking inside the sports Hall.
