Blackman heads new b-ball body

The Trinidad and Tobago Basketball Federation held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday in an effort to address several problems of the organisation’s financial standing and to elect a new board.

The meeting was initiated by the interim board under the chairmanship of Kwame Cowie and called within the June 30 deadline.The federation’s financial report revealed the need for quick, decisive action from the newly-appointed board to get them out of the red and improve the general position of basketball in the country. The minutes from the last AGM held in 2002 revealed a motion to honour Pietra Gay, the first Trinidad and Tobago national to play in the WNBA; Stephens Leonce who has served the youth of this country for 25 years; and George Phillips for long service to the basketball community. Present yesterday at St Paul’s Gymnasium in Port-of-Spain were representatives of six of the seven zones and affiliates; the Secondary Schools’ Basketball Association and the Coaches Association.

There were 22 eligible voters at the meeting and who voted by secret ballot. All six positions on the board were filled. They are: President — Clayton Blackman (unopposed) Vice-Presi-dent Organisation and Development — June Rogers (16 votes); Vice-President Finance, Communication and Marketing — Dennis Taye Allen (unopposed); Vice-President Training and Technical Support — Barry Jackson (12 votes); General Secretary — Rachel Thompson (16 votes); and Assistant Secretary — Dane Marie Marshall.

The board features a totally new slate as none of the elected members have functioned in this capacity before, which is a good thing as outlined by Blackman in his comments after the process. The federation’s new president stated it was a new day for basketball in Trinidad and Tobago and the Carib-bean in extension. He went on to say that basketball is on the way forward to being the most popular sport in this country and thanked all present for their support. The process of rehabilitation, Blackman said, required money and the participation of all concerned parties in the raising of funds. Rogers was supported in her call for unity at this time in the federation’s history and thanked the voters for the opportunity to participate in the administration of basketball. Taye Allen expressed on behalf of the newly-appointed board a willingness to do the work required to take basketball forward with a fresh ad-ministrative perspective.