McPherson says HBF is not the GABF
as basketball leaders prepare to meet
Godwin McPherson
By Edison Jefford
The future of basketball will be the central subject tomorrow when the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) meets with its Linden and Georgetown affiliates ahead of a decisive calendar year for the sport.
The Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) will be holding its regional senior male and female championships this year and each affiliated national federation has until the 28 of next month to pay registration fees.
The Haynes Basketball Foundation (HBF) had indicated that if the local federation is not able to send a representative to a CBC ordinary meeting early February, United Statesbased coach Larry Davis has volunteered.
However, GABF President, Godwin McPherson told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that the CBC meeting is not an appropriate forum for Davis since his involvement with Guyana’s basketball is as a coach and not an administrator.
“What can a coach come back and tell a federation? We (at the CBC meetings) discuss serious administrative matters not plan plays,” McPherson said, adding that he is adverse to some of the functions HBF undertakes.
The GABF president made it clear that HBF is the federation’s overseasbased agent but sometimes misunderstands their role. He said that HBF is not the GABF and they have to understand that certain functions are solely GABF.
“HBF got to understand that they don’t run the GABF. They should not operate like they run the GABF because they will have a problem with us,” McPherson said, stating that he will look at their budget at tomorrow’s meeting.
The New Jerseybased HBF had submitted a CBC budget to the GABF, which they said will make Guyana’s participation at the event a reality. However, McPherson was keen to point out that the document needs discussion.
“I will take it to the meeting with me but I want HBF to understand that they are not the GABF,” the top official reiterated. From all indications, the GABF had not requested the comprehensive document from the foundation.
