Team Guyana to depart tomorrow for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Pre-Qualifiers

– Minister Ramson, K A Juman Yassin urge players to represent Guyana well

By Timothy Jaikarran

The Guyanese contingent will depart these shores on Monday April 12, 2021 at 09:00 hrs for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Pre-Qualifiers which are scheduled to be played in El Salvador. The qualifiers will take place at the José Adolfo Pineda National Gymnasium.

The team is captained by Stanton Rose Jr and Co captained by Delroy James. While the team consists of experienced players, it is also balanced out nicely with young talent. As the days draw closer for the team to depart, they are currently pushing in overtime as they aim to make Guyana proud.
In a simple ceremony held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, delivered the feature address. He congratulated the players for making it thus far in representing the national team, and made it clear that the team is representing other young people and even inspiring them, owing to the fact that the Government of Guyana is happy to be on board.
Ramson added, “You are (going there) to win. you want individual success, as would be proven by your scores, but you have to understand that it is a team sport. Cohesive, and teams that have strong chemistry, good movement, flow of information, and (who put) egos aside are powerful units and can defeat some of the biggest stars that your opponents may have in their units.
“The most important message that you must take away is that to win – which is your primary objective – you have to have a strong unit, a cohesive unit. I congratulate you all, but I want you to know that your representing of Guyana comes with a price, the price is that you are inspiring an entire generation of young people that look to you for leadership. You also have leadership roles to play.”
The Minister showered praise on the GABF for their selfless dedication towards obtaining sponsorship for the team. He told the team that while their main role is to play basketball and win, they would be nothing without the leadership of the GABF.
Ramson also invited other businesses, especially in the private sector, to come on board and join the sports associations in their sponsorship of team sports.
President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation, Michael Singh, reiterated that it is a major moment the GABF is embarking on. If the Guyana team is to come out successful, they will qualify for the 2023 World Cup in Japan, Singh pointed out.
The GABF boss also stated that the aim with the current process is to give the members of the successful 2018 team that played in Suriname an opportunity to represent Guyana at a higher level.
“Before us today is a fantastic basketball team bolstered by the James brothers. Watching Delroy is like watching a video game with a cheat code. The man is class, the ultimate professional, with a calm demeanour and swagger. But what’s more interesting with Delroy is that he competed at the highest level in Latin America (BCL).
“Also on the team is Anthony Moe. Your scouting reports have helped us a lot in the last few days, and I have a special request for you, and the is to keep Mr Bartell (A 7-foot Centre from Nicaragua) off the board.” Singh said.
Singh also aimed the rest of his message at the other team members, stating that they are equally important. He urged them to focus on the areas they can produce for the team on both sides of the floor.
He also thanked the sponsors, especially the Guyana Olympic Association President K.A Juman-Yassin, who played an instrumental role; and the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jnr, for his relentless dedication to the sport.
“The Basketball Federation has been able to meet its target and send this team to the Championship”. This was pointed out by President of the Guyana Olympic Association, K.A Juman-Yassin. Yassin relayed that he was aware of the difficulty faced by the GABF, but nevertheless, the GOA was very happy to assist. Yassin further went on thank the Minister Charles Ramson as he noted that he has been doing an excellent job and hopes that with the upward movement of Guyana’s economy the cabinet would be able to give more funding to Minister Ramson’s ministry so that he may be able to do more. In closing Yassin said, “I ask you when you get on the court, when you are off the court to remember that you are the ambassador of Guyana, ambassador for yourselves also and your family. I want to wish the members of the team all the success, I want to compliment President Singh and his executives for pulling it off.”
The top three (3) teams will advance to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 – Americas Pre-Qualifiers in July 2021. The participating national teams would now include Costa Rica (CRC), El Salvador (ESA), Guyana (GUY), Jamaica (JAM) and Nicaragua (NCA).
Those on board in supporting the national squad are JHI Associates; Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport; E-Networks; Nigel Hinds; Hand-in-Hand; Atlantic Mining Supplies; American Airlines; Rima Guest House, and Sleepin International.

Guyana Game Schedule:
• Game 1: Thursday, April 15 – 21:00 GYT – Guyana vs Nicaragua
• Game 2: Friday, April 16 – 18:00 GYT – Jamaica vs Guyana
• Game 3: Saturday, April 17 – 21:00 GYT – Guyana vs El Salvador
• Game 4: Sunday, April 18 – 18:00 GYT – Costa Rica vs Guyana
* Guyana is two hours ahead of El Salvador, hence the games set for 21:00 hrs and 18:00 hrs will be played at 19:00hrs and 16:00 hrs local time.
All Guyana games will be broadcasted via the E-Networks E1 Channel.