Linden Inter-Block teams to get money owed

Jun 10, 2010 Sports

Despite Ministry’s shortcomings

Kaieteur Sport understands that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport will pay out the prize monies owed to the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) for its Inter-Block basketball tournament.
Speaking under conditions of anonymity, an informant had told this newspaper that one of the officials from the ministry had spoken to the President of the LABA sometime last week and negotiated for the Linden sub-association to accept less money.
“I know that Zico (the LABA President, Abdulla Hamid) get a call from the ‘bush’ last week and someone was negotiating with him to accept a cheque for less money than what they promised at the beginning of the competition,” our source indicated.
The ministry was expected to pay the $50,000 first prize and $25,000 second prize monies to the LABA for the two top teams of the inter-block basketball contest, which was completed at the Mackenzie Sports Club court nearly one year ago.
The initial arrangement was that the ministry would pay the $50,000 and source a sponsor for the $25,000 amounts.
However, when Kaieteur Sport contacted both Parliamentary Secretary Steve Ninvalle and LABA president Abdulla Hamid on the matter, both men informed that the money ($50,000) was available to be collected. However, the second prize was not sponsored as planned and efforts have to be made to get that money from another source.
Ninvalle informed that the money for the first prize is available and at the ministry for Hamid to collect. Hamid stated that when he travels to the city shortly he will collect same after being informed of its readiness. The second prize will also have to be realised shortly at which time all will be handed over to the respective teams.
Ninvalle had launched the Inter-Block event, which was an initiative to promote community-based sport, last year in Linden.
Some other teams from other areas have been reported to have collected their prizes albeit several months late. Ninvalle told this newspaper that this long delay for the payment of the prizes was deeply regretted by the ministry and that sort of thing will not be allowed to happen in the future.
The ministry had faced several teething problems in the initial stages of the Inter-Block exercise and it is hoped that all the kinks would be ironed out for future tournaments.
LABA was thrown in a situation where Central Mackenzie and Christianburg, the two top teams, were asking for their money.
The clubs were under the impression that the Linden sub-association had received the money and was keeping it in their possession. The belief forced the association to come public with the story which we had published earlier.