GABF withdraws from FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) was scheduled to participate in the FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge 2020.

National Coaches Junior Hercules and Lugard Mohan were selected by GABF as the primary points of contact for the recruitment and execution of this qualifier. However, the Federation has withdrawn from this competition owing to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Guyana.

The GABF via General Secretary Patrick Haynes wrote an official document to the FIBA Americas Events Department which said, “The Guyana Basketball Federation (GABF) regrettably withdraws from the FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge – Americas Qualifiers due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the City of Georgetown. The only FIBA-certified basketball facility, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall has been converted to a quarantine shelter for COVID-19 patients until the Georgetown Infectious Disease Hospital renovation construction is complete. Further to this matter, the Government of Guyana’s (GoG) Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Sports did not approve the restart of sports in Guyana. We are working closely with the GoG Ministry of Public Health and the Guyana Olympic Association with guidance from PAHO/WHO on a path to restart sports in Guyana. We would like to thank you for the FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge – Americas Qualifiers invitation to this event and will keep you updated as to when the sports restrictions are lifted in Guyana.”
FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge 2020, for both men and women, is scheduled to take place in the third week of August, starting on August 17, 2020, with the participation of 20 teams in each competition, and the world competition of skills and abilities will be broadcast live on FIBA’s official YouTube channel.