'Bitter-sweet' TTOC award: Coach Jackson demands accountability from basketball federation

THE buzz from the TT men’s 3x3 basketball team’s historic bronze medal at the Pan American Games last October still remains with national players Moriba De Freitas, Chike Augustine, twin brothers Ahkeel and Ahkeem Boyd, and coach Christopher Jackson Charles.

The team won the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) sport personality of the year award on Friday night, at a gala ceremony at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain.

TT defeated Venezuela 21-20 in the bronze medal match at the Pan Am Games in Chile, after beating the Dominican Republic 22-15 in the group stage and shocking Brazil 21-19 in the quarterfinal. TT lost 21-9 to the US in the semifinal stage.

Augustine, De Freitas and national team coach Christopher Jackson Charles represented the team on Friday. However, they shared grave concerns about the sanctions recently imposed on the National Basketball Federation of TT (NBFTT) for its failure to send a team to the 2023 3x3 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Israel and non-payment of 2023 AmeriCup 3x3 registration fees.

As punishment, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has banned TT from competing in the next FIBA 3x3 World Cup, but has allowed the NBFTT to explain its actions.

Minister of Sport Shamfa Cudjoe has on two occasions in 2023 called on the NBFTT to get its house in order. Last month she lamented the "chaos and confusion" within the administration and hit out at "grown folks who can't play any more standing in the way."

Jackson told Newsday, the TTOC award was a bitter-sweet moment, after the NBFTT’s announcement last week of the sanctions.

The board has blamed “administrative challenges” for its failures, emanating out a change in NBFTT administration, following the election of a new board on January 14, 2023.

“It’s a bitter-sweet current situation in local basketball because (all of us) who helped us to get to this level, (we’re) now hearing (about sanctions)," said Jackson, a national team coach for over 25 years..

“It’s bitter-sweet for these guys because (they) have been playing hard, training hard. They have been sacrificing their time and effort for TT, and to hear (about the sanctions) is a downer. Let’s be real, somebody must take accountability for those things that happened.

“We can’t just sit by and let it happen and nobody take accountability.”

The NBFTT has a track record of receiving sanctions for failure to register or pay registration fees for regional and international basketball events, spanning administrations.Jackson said, “This is not the first time this has happened — TT winning medals, having the opportunity to go further and then, for some reason, some individuals (believe) we shouldn’t go. I don’t know. It’s heartbreaking.

The NBFTT, led by president Lt Col Jason Hills, apologised in a press release in October, taking responsibility for the non-registration of national teams for the FIBA Ameri-Cup tournament, scheduled for November.

He said the NBFTT has turned its attention to ensuring TT competes at next year’s 3x3 World Cup qualifiers, plans that were ultimately quashed following the latest sanctions.

The team advanced to the World Cup qualifiers after finishing fourth in the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup tournament in Florida.

Jackson said he is of the firm view that poor habits of the last administration are resurfacing with the current administration.

“The reason why (voters) got rid of the last board was because of miscommunication, allegations of impropriety and whatever. Now that we brought in new people, we expected a certain amount of integrity. They are saying the past board didn’t do whatever, but we, the fraternity of coaches, (want to) let it be known (what exactly happened) so that can make a proper judgment as to who is really creating the issue.

“If we disagree with it then, we disagree with it now.”

Notwithstanding the latest news, Augustine told the media the team is excited over the future.

“I think I speak for the whole team, coaches and managers included, when I say it was a great achievement and we look forward to doing more,”

It is an historic achievement, said Augustine, “that speaks for itself.”

He said, “Whatever obstacles (are) coming, we just have to focus and bring more pride to the country.”