Minister of Sport Gail Teixeira who recently spoke with this newspaper after the recently concluded 2004 National Sports Commission (NSC) annual sports awards ceremony stated that as far as she is aware, elections for office bearers of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has not been held for over eight years.

She added that her ministry was hopeful that the basketball fraternity would engage the NSC so as to sort out the many teething problems besetting the game in the country.

The minister's comment and observation certainly puts into serious doubt, claims by Colonel (retired) Godwin Mc Pherson, president of the federation earlier in the year, that the federation had last held elections in 2002 - a mere two years ago.

So far the Colonel seems comfortable with his `2002-contention' and has not seen it fit nor necessary to `correct' what the minister has said, albeit, if what she said need to be corrected or clarified.

We at Sportscope have in the past expressed concern at the `happenings' in basketball in Guyana.

At this juncture we feel that it is incumbent on the president who we feel has a moral and civic duty as well as a personal responsibility to the general public, as the `purported' head of that organization to clear the air so to speak.

First up McPherson is yet to clarify where and the date when those disputed elections took place, after saying they were held in 2002.

But of more concern is the fact that he went further to say that the constitution of the GABF had been amended!

That amendment Sportscope has learnt was to the effect that elections would be held every four years!

According to McPherson this was in line with FIBA rules and regulations and that is why the change was necessary.

However, we at Sportscope are of the opinion that this `backroom' deal has been crafted to enable the executive to perpetuate itself in the face of a barrage of criticism and claims of skullduggery.

Even more worrying though are contentions by Rafael Douglas the president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) who not only also disputes the fact that elections were held, but went further and said that a written constituion of the GABF cannot be located from any member nor any legal body.

This is surely tantamount to a `phantom organization' being foisted on the nation! Interestingly enough, since Douglas' claims were made the Colonel has not seen it fit to respond either by written correspondence or simply supplying the GABA president with a copy of not only the constitution but also the amendments made.

The GABA president has asserted that from the `little' knowledge he had of the constitution of the federation, himself, as president of the GABA was automatically a vice-president of that body. But strangely (and ironically) enough, he is not on the federation's executive nor was he invited to be a part of the `purported' elections!

Or has the GABF's constitution been also amended, this time to exclude the president of the GABA?

Now how can the federation, a national body at that, be operating without regard for proper procedure? How can it breach its own rules and regulations? How do the purported officers feel with regards to the fact that they have practically foisted themselves upon an unsuspecting basketball public? How can they perpetuate what is rapidly becoming a sporting scandal of enormous proportions day by day - our local Sportsgate! Where or when will it end? We at Sportscope would like to admonish all concerned that it may be wise to take note of two old Guyanese proverbs, "moon ah run, till day ketch am!" and "time longer than twine."

It would seem that Mc Pherson commands some respect in the basketball arena and hence we at Sportscope feel that it would do him an enormous amount of good to `come clean' by doing a number of things.

First he can produce the constituion of the federation - amended or otherwise - or second be `man' enough to admit he made an error in his contention that elections were held two years ago. The way would then be cleared for the NSC to supervise firstly a comprehensive review of the constitution, with new elections for office bearers to be held subsequently at which anyone including McPherson can run for office.

This we at Sportscope feel will return confidence to the players, sponsors and all other stakeholders of sport and more especially the basketball fraternity in Guyana.

It is time to `clean-up' the image of basketball!