New Coach Walls sets sights on Caribbean Pre-Qualifier success

The Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) has officially appointed highly-respected international Basketball Coach Alan Walls as Head Coach of the Guyana men’s national basketball team, as the nation intensifies preparations for the upcoming FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers, scheduled for July 8-12 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown.
Walls, who brings a wealth of international coaching experience to the role, has wasted no time in outlining his objectives for the national programme. Speaking during a recent interview, the newly-appointed Coach emphasised that his immediate focus is on assessing the local talent pool before integrating overseas-based players into the selection process.

“It’s a process of working with the local players first, and as we get the overseas players, we’ll have more of a complete picture of who we could choose from for the team,” Walls explained, “I have no expectations really coming into the situation, as I don’t know any of the players personally. But I know we’ve got a great set of veteran players and also some new guys that are coming up as well.”
Despite being in the early stages of evaluating the squad, Walls was clear about the team’s primary objective. Guyana will be competing against regional rivals for one of two qualifying spots that would advance them to the next phase of the competition later this year.
He shared, “Our goal, obviously, is to be one of the two teams qualifying out of this round and into the next round, which is in November and December. That is our definite goal, that we must accomplish –passing from this process into the next round of qualifications.”
With limited preparation time before the tournament tips off, Walls stressed the importance of building a cohesive unit rather than simply assembling the most talented individuals available.
“Two of the most important things that I’m looking for are competitiveness and coachability,” Walls stated. “I want players who love to compete, who know how to compete, and who are also coachable. They take instructions well and contribute positively to the team environment.”
The veteran Coach underscored the significance of unity and chemistry, noting that success in basketball often depends on how well players function together rather than on individual ability alone.
The internationally-acclaimed Coach shared, “We have a very short time to put this team together, and as in any team sport, a very important aspect is the team, the unity, the camaraderie and making sure we have the right personalities on the team.”
“You can have a great group of individual players, but that’s not as good as a team of lesser-talented players. So, I’m not just looking at talent, but I’m also looking at attitude and coachability,” Walls added.
Walls’ appointment has generated excitement within the local basketball fraternity, with many hopeful that his international expertise and emphasis on discipline, teamwork, and culture will help elevate Guyana’s performance on the regional stage.
As preparations continue ahead of the July tournament, all eyes will be on Walls and his squad as they seek to secure qualification and take another step towards realising Guyana’s basketball ambitions.