ExxonMobil National School Basketball Festival: Bowman hails “All-Star” category as unveiling of new talent

By Timothy Jaikarran

The ExxonMobil National School Basketball Festival (EMNSBF), which commenced on July 1, 2022 and concluded on July 10, 2022, saw 10 glorious days of action unveiling a plethora of talent from all across Guyana.

Moreover, the festival featured an “All-Star” category which Youth Basketball Guyana Co-Founder Chris Bowman now regards as vital, as it identified the 20 best players in each age group as prospective future national players.
In a recent chat with this publication, Bowman was asked his view on the importance of the “All-Star” category, and he said, “The EMNSBF All-Star games served as an important segway between the preliminary of the Festival and Championship Weekend (final four and final game). It is always set on the Friday before the Finals. The purpose of the ‘All-Star’ is two-fold: first, it is our way of identifying and affirming the best 20 players in each age group (60 in total) as prospective future national players…”
Bowman explained that aside from identifying prospective talent, YBG tries to create a unique evening of basketball and entertainment, in which fans can come and enjoy the game without the edge of serious competition.
He said that, regardless of which team the fans may be backing to win the championships, with the “All-Star” format, you cheer and appreciate good basketball and talent across the board.
“Twenty of the best players in each age division are placed into teams representing GT/Demerara and Out-of-Town. This year, the Out-of-Town teams won all three of the All-Star games (U16, Girls D, and U18). This shows the depth of talent outside of Georgetown, which is why the EMNSBF is so important to basketball development, because it is the one championship that truly showcases talent from across the country,” Bowman has posited.
The first National School Basketball Festival, which was played from June 26-30, 2006, involved 18 schools in a single elimination tournament. From its inception, the NSBF has been a partnership between Youth Basketball Guyana and stakeholders, and the intention was to develop a structured National School Basketball Championship.
Over the last 12 years, the programme has grown significantly, he said, and now includes regional (ZONE) tournaments in order to qualify for the National Championship. National titles are contested in the categories of under-14, -16, -18 (change from 19) and Girls Developmental.
Next on the calendar, he disclosed, would be a Tertiary Knockout Tournament sponsored by ExxonMobil, followed by a Student Pathway Conference and a rollout of a Youth Basketball Curriculum and the Youth Basketball Guyana Titan Bowl, which would close out 2022.