Hoop dreams in limbo

IT WAS a roller-coaster year for national basketballers.

They went from the high of recording the country’s best-ever showing at the Pan Am Games in October – with twin brothers Ahkeem and Ahkeel Boyd, along with Chike Augustine and captain Moriba Defreitas copping a bronze medal – to the embarrassment of seeing the National Basketball Federation of TT (NBFTT) sanctioned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Missed fees and tournament non-attendance were the fouls precipitating this penalty.

The latter development now jeopardises the basketballers’ eligibility for tournaments. Their dreams of appearing at a future FIBA 3x3 World Cup, if not shattered, are in limbo.

What is most embarrassing, however, is the fact that this latest FIBA action is probably the least of the local fraternity’s concerns.

By any standard, 2023 was a shambolic year for the NBFTT. After being reportedly suspended in 2022 by the TT Olympic Committee for non-compliance, the year began with a seemingly botched leadership handover. Newly-elected officials said they could not access bank funds. Nobody could convincingly explain why such a simple issue was not rectified more speedily.

Meanwhile, citing a lack of funds, NBFTT did not register the men’s and women’s teams for the 2023 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup.

The men’s 3x3 team, which had placed fourth at the 2022 tournament, also missed out on competing at the May 6-7 FIBA 3x3 World Cup qualifiers in Israel. It would appear the basketballers were registered, but the federation then pulled out at the last minute, again citing a lack of funding.

“Basketball still hasn’t sorted itself out,” Shamfa Cudjoe said in May. “Clubs and administrators need to restore the sport…They are hurting young people.” The Minister of Sport called on the fraternity to get its act together.

But things only went from bad to worse. In December, just before word of the international sanction broke, the minister reported “chaos and confusion” still prevailing in the NBFTT.

Is there a chance of rebound?

We hope so, for the sake of the young talent in this country that stands to benefit from a healthy, well-organised sporting fraternity, starting with the NBFTT ironing out its internal issues. That’s a prerequisite to attracting the kind of funding and corporate support badly needed.

While football and cricket have always held centre court, basketball has a steady following. People with Caribbean heritage have often risen to the sport’s highest levels.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s father was the child of immigrants who moved to the US from Trinidad. Patrick Ewing’s family migrated to Boston straight from Jamaica. Locals have made it to the NBA and college basketball levels in the US. It would be a shame if young people’s hoop dreams are frustrated by all this commess. The minister may have to move beyond voicing disquiet to sort out whatever is amiss.