By Rawle Toney
Acting president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) David Patterson believes that 2009 was a tragic year laced with unfulfilled promises for the sport.
Speaking with Stabroek Sport, Patterson reflected on the death of former president Colonel Godwin McPherson and the failed attempt at holding elections for office bearers which should have taken place before 2009 ended.
“I think for me, 2009 was nothing but tragic for basketball and plenty of Mac’s (McPherson) goals and so on for the year that he had set before his passing we didn’t get to complete but apart from that we have made some grounds as it relates to our administration,” he said.
Apart from McPherson’s sudden passing, Guyana’s failed bid to host the 2009 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships was another bitter disappointment.
The late McPherson had been given the approval by the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) for Guyana to host the tournament.
The CBC, had, however, made certain stipulations one of which was that the GABF send a Letter of Commitment signed by the Government of Guyana indicating its willingness to help facilitate the championship.
It was at this point that the breakdown came, when despite the keenness of Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, to have the event return to the place where it all started, the
Letter of Commitment was never sent and the CBC eventually awarded the tournament to the British Virgin Islands.
To rub salt further into the wound, the GABF was subsequently unable to send a team to contest the championships with funding, as usual, being excuse.
There was some level of international basketball though with Guyana hosting the South Carolina Lady All-Stars semi-professional team coached by Larry Davis.
So successful was that series that Patterson declared that the resuscitation of female basketball would high on the list of priority for 2010.
Patterson subsequently met with presidents of the Linden and Georgetown sub-associations, Abdulla Hamid and Trevor Rose respectively after the two presidents had been very vocal in calling for elections.
“Well yeah, we had met before at a meeting of the federation and talks about an earliest possible election came up which I also agreed. But there was plenty in-house fixing which had to be done before and that is what stalled the process,” he said.
CBC Annual General Meeting
Meanwhile, the CBC will host its General Members Meeting on January 30 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm in Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI).
Questioned whether Guyana will be attending Patterson said:“Well, honestly, I want these elections to take place way before the end of this month because it would be great if Guyana could be represented at that meeting since it would be important. You see, we have several things that need to happen first, like we need to make a few changes to our constitution and also we have the referees association constitution here as well to look at, so its plenty work in a short space of time,” said Patterson.
On whether he would contest the presidency of the GABF Patterson said: “Well yeah, I will make my self available, you know. Maybe who knows, I would love to be up there.”
