Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 14, 2011 Sports
Mackeson Smooth Moves 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament
President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) David Patterson reportedly said that the upcoming Ansa McAl-sponsored Mackeson Smooth Moves 3-on-3 Basketball tournament is part of what is needed to boost the sport and enhance its image in Guyana.
The tournament, which will be launched on Friday, will see basketball enthusiasts vying for the millions in cash and prizes that will be up for grabs with the ultimate incentive being a trip for four to the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Weekend.
Basketball in Guyana seems to be a standstill with the most recent activity being the participation of the senior male national team at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) tournament in the Bahamas, where Guyana finished seventh overall.
The 3-on-3 game is one of the formats being use now by the sport’s world governing body FIBA, to help reintroduce the sport into societies. Its aim in Guyana will be to help regain fans and build support for the game.
It is on that note that Patterson reportedly lauded the tournament and his administration’s fullest support. However, he said that “It’s difficult to gauge the impact of this particular tournament on the game of basketball in Guyana.”
“We (the GABF) are quite sure that this tournament, like most organised basketball, will have a positive impact on both players and spectators alike. Our greatest hope is that this effort is one that sustained over time,” Patterson added.
“It is useful to remember that basketball players are always looking for avenues to showcase and improve their talent,” he continued. He believes that the tournament, with its lucrative prizes and structure, is an attractive avenue to bring out players and spectators.
Since the publication in various forms of the local media about the multimillion-dollar basketball tournament, it has received mixed reviews from the public.
“It is difficult to fathom any reason that any player in Guyana would not cherish the opportunity to play; after all that is the desire of all players. Any suggestion that seasoned basketball players may have any misgivings about this tournament is tantamount to being naive and short-sighted,” Patterson said, responding to a question on the players’ response to the initiative.
Since Guyana’s poor showing at the CBC Championships this year, the general consensus amid the local basketball community is that the GABF has been nonchalant on the development of the sport, but Patterson emphatically refuted those claims.
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