Changes being made to executive of SVG Basketball Federation

By next week the public will know the four members who will fill the vacated executive positions of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation.

A meeting yesterday of remaining members: President Wayne Williams, First Vice President John Rawlins, Treasurer Marlon Nanton, and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Ossana De Riggs and Public Relations Officer Leroy Adams should have ratified the personnel to complete the executive committee.{{more}}

The posts became vacant following the resignation of General Secretary Sabrina Mitchell in June, followed by Second Vice President Cecil Chin in July. The two cited the “mediocrity” in the operations of the federation and the personal sacrifices they were forced make that prompted their departure.

Former Third Vice President Kerry Stewart according to Williams gave him a verbal explanation last month of his resignation.

Stewart in a brief interview with SEARCHLIGHT said that he resigned in August, as he will be pursuing studies overseas next year.

Games Secretary Stanley Hinds has not been functioning since July.

Hinds has not officially written to the executive about his stance.

He told this publication last Tuesday: “I cannot work with the president; he is too totalitarian in his ways.”

Williams stated that the persons to be co-opted bring with them a wealth of experience and “are willing to serve”. He named a former president as one tipped to be installed.

The basketball president revealed that with the absence of the four “this did not mean that the business of basketball is at a standstill”.

He listed the on-going youth feeder programme and the newly instituted coaching caravan as areas of activity.

“Apart from those, referees meet every Tuesday and Thursday,” the former national basketball coach stated.

“We hope to dovetail on the caravan exercise to offer an after school programme”, Williams revealed.

These he said are setting the stage for the return of national male and female competition tentatively scheduled to commence the second week of February 2007.

Many concerns have been raised over the absence of the male competition in 2005 and this year, as well as the female segment, which was last staged last year.

Williams said that in the case of the men’s version there were some obstacles last year and this time around, the teams indicated that they were not ready.

Following the installation of the new members, Williams said that getting the basketball office located at the New Montrose Basketball facility “up and running” will be the major agenda item.

“After years of ups and downs, we need a central place for the business of basketball to be conducted,” Williams said.

“It’s priority, it’s crucial as it relates to the development of the game here”, he pointed out.

“Although it’s a voluntary job, you have to run it on a professional basis,” Williams expressed.

The current executive was elected in January at the federation’s Annual General Meeting.

Williams got the nod by a single vote in a keenly contested race for the presidency with Junior Sutton.

Williams, a long-standing basketball administrator held an interim position as head of the federation prior to his election after his namesake Atiba, the then president, migrated.