Empire Trust not GABF paid US$2000
By Donald Duff
Stabroek News
July 11, 2002
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation did not pay the US$2000 entrance fee to the CARICOM basketball federation to enable the male and female teams to participate in the just-concluded 16th regional championships which was played in the US Virgin Islands.
Rather that sum was part of thousands of dollars pumped into the game’s development and subsequent national teams’ preparation by Empire Trust Enterprises claims two of the company’s senior managers.
Christopher `Chrissy’ Douglas and Perry Woolford have revealed that the GABF played an almost dormant role in the recent resuscitation of the game and arrangements for the national male and female teams intended participation at the tournament.
The Guyana teams which comprised a number of overseas-based players were due to participate in the tournament held in St Thomas but pulled out at the last moment citing the inability to procure flights from Antigua to St Thomas.
According to Perry and Douglas the company suffered substantial losses whilst organising and staging a programme of activities from early on in the year.
The two said the programme was aimed at getting the players to peak for the tour of the DC Jammers and the subsequent CARICOM championships.
“We’ve lost close to $600,000,” said Douglas.
Woolford who was named manager of the team said Empire Trust Enterprises and not the GABF paid the sum of $158,000 in application fees for US visas which the team members and officials required in order to enter the US Virgin Islands.
Empire Trust Enterprises suffered further losses when it shelled out some $15,000 to purchase refreshments for the players for the team’s many practice sessions.