Tertiary Basketball League: Finale lived up to hype, says event co-founder Chris Bowman

…NSBF set for July 1, 2022

By Timothy Jaikarran

The final game of the Tertiary Basketball League (TBL) was held on Sunday, June 5th, 2022 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, and a heated battle ensued between the University of Guyana team (UG) and the Guyana Technical Institute team (GTI).
The University of Guyana team ultimately prevailed by edging out their opponents 69 to 66, and co-founder of the event, Chris Bowman, has declared that the finale “had lived up to the hype”.
Speaking with this publication, Bowman has said, “TBL finale lived up to the hype, so to speak. GTI and the University of Guyana did not disappoint. In fact, the finals exceeded that of when the two teams first met in the competition. UG clearly made the adjustments that were necessary, while GTI failed to do so. This just goes to tell you how good these teams are. In the end, it was just a four-points’ difference.

“So, in terms of basketball and the quality of play, it was really good. That was complemented well for the in-game experience for the fans, who came out to witness. We had a number of fan interactions, a capacity crowd, local artiste Kush doing an excellent job. So that is the kind of experience you expect persons to have when they come to a basketball game. So, we are pleased.”
Bowman also explained that the entire Tertiary Basketball League competition was very successful. He said that one of the most recent trends seen is that university students and vocational students have their excellent fanbases.
He also related that what was evident in the league was that past National School Basketball athletes who had come through the programme were also present in the tertiary league, and he opined that what this means is that they are building a good culture, as their players continue to progress through various stages.
In terms of sponsorship, Bowman has said, “More importantly, our sponsors: National Sports Commission, ExxonMobil, G-Boat Guyana, Edward B Beharry & Company Ltd, Fireside Grill and Suites, and Banks DIH Ltd… are just a testament of the quality of sponsorship you need to execute high-quality events such as what we have had over the last eight weeks. So, we are very happy with the turnout with the finals, so our sponsors could see where their investment is going, and how much it means to the players and the public coming out to support such a high-quality event; and it speaks well. So, we are happy we were able to deliver to the community and the sponsors in this regard.”
On the agenda for Youth Basketball Guyana, Bowman explained that the annual basketball festival is “just around the corner”, from July 1-10. He said he expects a high-profile tournament as the festival’s 15th anniversary is celebrated.
Before the basketball festival, Bowman relayed, there would be mini regional tournaments around Guyana. He said this speaks of an excellent return of the sport at a high level even during an ongoing pandemic.
“So we are very pleased with our programmes, and we look forward to the continued support from the public” Bowman has said.