Kwakwani, New Amsterdam, Georgetown head to Linden

Inaugural 4X4 Under-18 Basketball…

The Kings Basketball Club, in association with the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA), will stage the preliminary round of its first ever Under-18, 4×4 basketball championship today from 18.00hrs at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.

The innovation comes from President of the Kings Basketball Club, Gary Stephens, who is based in the United States. He came up with the idea that while there is the FIBA-approved 3 x 3 basketball format, which is one of the fastest formats being undertaken by the world governing body, the Kings’ aim is to include female basketball players in the playing of the game locally, hence the initiative.
That is why this 4 x 4 basketball championship is headed where one female player has to be on the basketball court at all times.

This new format should stir interest among female players, and tonight’s preliminary round play, with the finals set for next Saturday, should spark interest in the game.
The female players are not limited by any age range, while the males must be 18 or under to compete.
Among the teams that have been invited to play in this new version of the game are two from Kwakwani, where Coach Ann Gordon and her successful Youth Basketball Guyana players would invade the Mackenzie Sports Club court with the aim of taking top honours, starting tonight.
At the same time, another team from Aroaima, an upper Berbice riverine community, will, for the first time, also be in Linden to compete.
Stephens has said that having the participation of Kwakwani — which has outstanding female and male players in the youth categories of basketball in Guyana — is a welcome sign, but not to be outdone will be the National 3 x 3 Under-18 players, inclusive of Kobe Tappin and Emmanuel LaRose, who won titles representing Victory Valley Royals recently; but the inclusion of a female player would also be of interest.
Not to be outdone will be two teams from Georgetown, who will be hoping to make their mark in this inaugural tournament as well, and there has been interest coming from two other teams who are resident in New Amsterdam, while two home teams will be representing Kings and one will be representing Victory Valley Royals.