The Guyana Basketball Federation (GABF) has pulled out from participating in the FIBA CentroBasket U15 boys championships which is set to run from tomorrow to June 22nd in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.
According to the GABF, the withdrawal occurred due to the US Embassy in Guyana being unable to expedite interviews for seven members of the travelling contingent. The request for the expedited interviews followed the process of team selection.
“The US Embassy in Georgetown has, on previous occasions, facilitated the expedited interviews for national basketball teams but was unable to do so on this occasion. While the Embassy did offer to interview the delegation members at a later date, there is only a window of one day remaining for the team to make it to Puerto Rico in time for the first game against The Bahamas,” the release stated.
Despite the intervention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) America’s Regional Office, the GABF was unsuccessful in securing the required appointments. “The fourteen (14) member delegation is already in possession of roundtrip airline tickets, as they must arrive two (2) days before their matches, which begin on 18 June, and will depart the US Territory on 23 June 2022. The national teams were previously placed in pairs taking into account their Nike Youth Ranking position,” the release added.
The team, which was scheduled to depart Guyana today, comprised: Giovanni Tracey (Bartica), Yaneil Easton (Linden), Ezeke Leacock (Linden), Marion Fiedtkou (Georgetown), Ezekiel Griffith (Georgetown), Kalani Howard (Georgetown), Stephen Carter (New Amsterdam), Cayden Pydana (New Amsterdam), Ezekiel Saul (East Coast Demerara), Dejaun Grant (East Coast Demerara), Keron Phillips (Aroaima), and Hayden Sampson (Kwakwani).
Lugard Mohan was set to serve as the head-coach while Troy Alex Graham was pencilled in to act in the capacity of team manager.
Guyana had been drawn in group-B alongside Panama, The Bahamas, and the host nation while group-A contains Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
