Guyana will play host, for the second time, the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Caribbean Championship U-16 championships in July. The last time the championship was held in the 83,000 square miles was in 1999. Jamaica won the boy’s title, while Suriname emerged as the female champs.
The 1999 tournament was the fourth major championship hosted by the land of many waters. The inaugural senior CARICOM Championship 1981, the seventh CARICOM Championship 1988, the 1994 Senior CARICOM Championship were also hosted here.
Kaieteur Sports and Statistician Charwayne Walker journey back seventeen years and take a look at the performance of the Guyana boys’ team led by Marvin Hartman.
Opening Match versus Trinidad and Tobago at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall – Trinidad and Tobago won 67 – 54. Shorn Solomon led all scorers to twenty points, Yeroden Patrick nineteen points, for the host point guard Dale Sauers from Kwakwani top scored with thirteen points, Rawle Toney had three 3-pointers in 12, Kwesi Heywood 12.
Game number two was the game of the tournament. St Lucia edged Guyana in double overtime in 88 to 87. For St. Lucia Jevon Vitalis top scored with seventeen points, Dave Theodore sixteen points, Frank Baptiste fourteen points, fourteen rebounds, Lester Charles twelve points, Lance Charles eleven points. For Guyana Kwesi Heywood had a tournament high thirty-one points, Dwayne (Brown Sugar) Roberts supported Heywood with twenty-two points and seven rebounds, skipper Marvin Hartman had a double-double with ten points and thirteen rebounds.
Game number three: Jamaica blew out Guyana seventy-seven to forty-six. For the winners O’Neil Morgan had a game high twenty-three points, Kevin Young sixteen points, eight rebounds, Darrel Barret ten points. For Guyana, Dwayne (Brown Sugar) Roberts top scored with seventeen points. He also pulled down ten rebounds, skipper Marvin Hartman twelve points, seven rebounds, Kwesi Heywood nine points.
Game number four: Grenada edged Guyana fifty-nine to fifty-four, Allen Date led Grenada with fourteen points, skipper Marvin Hartman had a game high fifteen points for Guyana in a losing cause. Dwayne (Brown Sugar) Roberts supported his captain with twelve points and eight rebounds.
Game number five: Guyana beat Cayman Islands in overtime fifty- eight to fifty-five, Dwayne (Brown Sugar) Roberts had a double–double with twelve points and sixteen rebounds, Kwesi Heywood thirteen points, Lonsdale Paul ten points with three- three pointers. For the Cayman Islands, William Peguero had fifteen points and fifteen rebounds, Fabian Thompson thirteen rebounds and eight points. Guyana boys finished ninth in the tournament.
Jamaica beat the Bahamas fifty-three to forty-eight in the finals. Kevin Young of Jamaica was voted the most valuable player of the tournament. Kevin Young top scored in the finals with twenty nine points, he also had ten rebounds and six blocked shots. For the Bahamas, Lavar Simmons, Francis Farrington and Quinton Demeritte each scored eight points.
The 1999 Guyana National Team that failed to bring home the bacon: Marvin Hartman – captain from Linden Foundation Secondary, Carey Griffth- Saint Stanislaus College, Lonsdale Paul – Richard Ishmael Secondary, Wilfred Branch – East Ruimveldt Secondary, Dwayne Roberts- Wismar Christianburg Secondary, Rawle Toney –Linden Technical Institute, Louis Alexander- New Silver City Secondary, Allister Henry- Guyana Industrial Training Centre, Ruyaud Rahamon- School of the Nations, Dale Sauers- Kwakwani Secondary School, Kwesi Heywood- Charlestown Secondary School, Keiron Adams- Saint Stanislaus College, Bernard Daniels- Coach.
Next Week Kaieteur Sports will take a look at Guyana girls’ performance. Jerry Lee Johnson of Saint Stanislaus College was outstanding.
