Following the abrupt resignation of Nigel Hinds from the post of Commissioner of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hinds came clean with the circumstances surrounding the ending of his tenure.
Former Commissioner of National Sports Commission, Nigel Hinds
Speaking with Guyana Times Sport Hinds, who also holds the post of President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) indicated that his resignation, which was tendered on August 12, 2016 with immediate effect, was surrounding an E-mail as it related to the status of funds used to refurbish the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to host the Caribbean Basketball Championships (CBC).
The Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, which was refurbished in preparation for the Under-16 Caribbean Basketball Championship hosted in July under the authority of the Ministry of Education/National Sports Commission.
It was revealed by Hinds that the funds provided were inadequate and it was an understanding between the GABF/Nigel Hinds and the NSC that the Federation would be reimbursed for the excess funds spent, however, according to Hinds, the Federation did not have the necessary funds and it was through his private account that funds were sourced.
It was also indicated that the total cost to renovate and to successfully host the CBC 2016 amounted to in excess of $91 million, of which some were used to “purchase state assets in the building such as basketball goals, etc.”
The project had received $20 million for the Ministry of Education and $20 million from the Lottery Fund and $8 million from corporate sponsors, to name the major entities, which showed the GABF was in debt and Hinds subsequently ventured to his private account “to assist under the assurance of repayment.”
“We (GABF/Nigel Hinds) hereby seek reimbursement from the NSC as agreed upon by the NSC at the July 19, 2016 Meeting.” Hinds sent to the NSC via E-mail.
In an E-mail, Hinds further deliberated, “After receiving your commitment on Wednesday, July 19, 2016 at an NSC meeting, promising timely repayment of funds, and this being emphatically stated by the NSC Chairman, who even asked for my request to be made by Thursday, July 21, 2016 so that repayment could be done quickly.”
Hinds said that he later received an E-mail from Director of Sport, Christopher Jones on August 10, 2016 saying, “I have been directed from the meeting of Commissioners held on August 9, 2016 to discuss the request for payment to the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation to indicate that after much deliberation, the Commissioners have reiterated that the request made for a detailed report of the recently concluded CBC Championship accompanied by the financial statements are need to be provided for them to deliberate and make an informed decision.”
The contents of the E-mail, Hinds found it to be “A shameful, ridiculous and disrespectful request.”
Adding that “The NSC owes me (Nigel Hinds) approximately $7 Million for monies I spent on the import of basketball goals, carpeting the VIP and other rooms, upgrading several rooms and having the Sports Hall cleaned in a comprehensive manner for the CBC U16 Championships. We have no ownership rights to the equipment and rooms in the Sports Hall.”
Additionally, Hinds claimed that there is still a debt owed to suppliers amounting to over $20 million and is hoping that the NSC honours their agreement.
For the moment will go back to his fulltime job and his much preferred role at the helm of the GABF.
