Guyana better equipped to host regional and international basketball games

Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 June 2016, 18:58 by Denis Chabrol

Guyanese basketball players can now enjoy a basketball court which meets international standards and for the first time, the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) games will be held in Guyana.

The Ministry of Culture Youth & Sport upgraded court at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall valued at GYD$20M. This amount includes the procurement of equipment for the facility which now makes it possible for regional and international competitions to be held there.

Director of Sports, Christopher Jones told the Government Information Agency (GINA)  that he is happy to see basketball making such a huge step. “It’s the first time for Guyana as a country in general (to) have these equipment in the country, so immediately right there and then history has been created,” Jones explained.

Jones related that Guyana is now in a position that will lead to the rapid development of basketball and basketball players. He pointed out that in the past, basketball players found it difficult when competing overseas due to inadequate training facilities in Guyana.

Jones noted that the “new environment puts a difficulty on any athlete who has been training and preparing for some [competition]. So now Guyana basket ballers are on par with those persons in the region and of course internationally.”

The Caribbean Basketball Confederation games are scheduled to kick off on July 03, 2016 in Guyana at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall,  with Antigua & Barbuda taking  on The Bahamas while Barbados will go up against the British Virgin Islands.

The Director of Sports said that the government will continue to lend support to the development of sports in Guyana. He emphasised that come 2017, the National Gymnasium will be transformed in to a multipurpose sports centre. The proposal for the multipurpose sports centre will be submitted and is expected to be catered for in the 2017 National Budget at  an estimated cost of GYD$440M.