Not another Highfall says SVGBF President

Another set of this country’s young sportsmen and women were, at the eleventh hour, made to remain at home, after a planned trip overseas did not materialise.{{more}}

The latest bundle of disappointment was handed to twenty-four Under-15 basketballers, twelve boys and twelve girls, who were set to travel to Barbados last week Thursday.

And, one parent is blaming it on the apparent tardiness of the Executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation (SVGBF).

The irate parent said that she believed that the members of the SVGBF knew from the get go that they were not able to send the team.

“My son was up everyday from about nine, until six, seven o’clock, training just for that opportunity,” the parent stated with disgust coupled with disappointment.

“The boy trained real hard and was really looking forward to going,” the parent complained.

The parents and guardians were hit the heart breaking news last week Wednesday, just a matter of hours before their children and wards were set to travel to Barbados.

But President of the SVGBF Wayne Williams holds a different view.

“What we had planned was to go to Barbados, play a few games there and use the occasion to get an appointment with the US Embassy there,” Williams told SEARCHLIGHT.

“No appointments dates were available with the Embassy, and as a matter of fact, no openings are available until October,” Williams said.

But the parent is contending that the SVGBF had to purchase the tickets in advance, so the issue of not getting appointments does not hold any bearing.

The Basketball President confirmed that the tickets were not purchased, as they knew they were not getting the appointments.

Williams said that the tour to Barbados was a prelude to one planned for December to Puerto Rico.

“What actually happened was that Santo Domingo who was supposed to host the Centro15 and Under championships forfeited on their arrangements and FIBA America postponed the championships until sometime next year”, he added.

“We then planned to take the kids to Puerto Rico in December to give them the exposure,” Williams stated.

Williams said it was never their intention to fool the parents and young basketballers.

He said that it was generally agreed by those present at last week Wednesday’s meeting to forgo the Barbados leg, but revealed that one player showed open disappointment, on hearing the sad news, while one parent left in disgust.

The failure to travel by the basketballers follows on the heels of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union failure to get young athletes to the Caribbean Union of Teachers Games in Tortola last month.(RT)