In 1958, sixteen-year old Queen’s College (QC) student, Brain “The Kid” Dummett, was named British Guiana (BG) Basketball Player of the Year for his outstanding performances for the Dan River Panthers, the National Champions. In April 1960, then a member of the Dan River Panthers, he toured Suriname.
Two years later, at 19 years of age and still attending QC, the six-footer was named BG’s captain for the tour of Brazil in April, and July tour to Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. Other former QC students to have worn the national colours include early 90’s graduate, Lorenzo Withrite, who later represented Lee University of Cleveland, Tennessee, USA, and later played semi-professionally in Belgium. Early 80’s graduate, Roger Charles, represented Guyana at the 1986 CARICOM Championships in Trinidad & Tobago, while small forward, 6 foot 3 ½ inch-Don Fletcher, of the 1990 class was very instrumental in Guyana’s achievement during the mid-1990’s. When Guyana hosted the 1994 CARICOM Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Fletcher played a vital role as Guyana finished runner-up to Champions Barbados.
Don also played an integral role when Guyana reached the semi-finals of the 1996 CARICOM Championship hosted by Trinidad & Tobago. The Queen’s College basketball court was recently refurbished, courtesy of alumni Phillip Jaiserrisingh’s company, Mention Services, in collaboration with the Queen’s College Old Students Society. It would be a fitting tribute to Brian “The Kid” Dummett if the refurbished court was renamed in his honour.
