Berbice High School and Tutorial Academy were crowned champions when the Youth Basketball Guyana Region 6 “Ancient” Regional tournament concluded on Friday, June 19.
Berbice High won the boys’ final after defeating Skeldon Line Path 34-28, while Tutorial Academy captured the girls’ title with a 13-9 win over JC Chandisingh.
Avion Kesney led Berbice High in the boys’ final with 22 points and three rebounds. His performance earned him both Player of the Game and Most Valuable Player honours.
Berbice High also received important support from Carlson Mattheson, who finished with six points and 11 rebounds, while Dontrell Ross added six points and seven rebounds. For Skeldon Line Path, Kellon Lyte scored 11 points and Joel Sukhram added eight.
In the girls’ final, Jada Alexander was named Player of the Game after leading Tutorial Academy with six points and eight rebounds. Afiyah Hytmiah supported with five points.
For JC Chandisingh, Shaqueena Collins finished with five points and four rebounds.
YBG Director Chris Bowman said the tournament showed encouraging signs for the growth of basketball in Berbice, both on and off the court.
“There were many positives that emerged from the Region 6 ‘Ancient’ Regional Tournament. Nine of the region’s twelve secondary schools participated, with four schools also fielding girls’ teams,” Bowman told Kiskadee Watch Sport.
He said the involvement of teachers was one of the major highlights of the tournament.
“What stood out most, however, was the commitment of the teachers. The tournament was locally coordinated by Stefan Peters of Vryman’s Erven, and the support from teachers across the region was outstanding. They invested significant time and effort to ensure their students had the opportunity to participate,” Bowman said.
Bowman also pointed to the support from the wider community as a key factor in the success of the eight-week tournament.
“The wider community also embraced the eight-week tournament. Parents, past players, officials, and supporters all played their part, creating a strong sense of local ownership. That was particularly encouraging to see,” he added.
According to Bowman, Region 6 has the foundation to continue developing basketball once support and investment remain in place.
“Region 6 has tremendous potential. The enthusiasm of the students and the commitment of the adults around them demonstrate that with continued investment and support, there is a bright future for basketball and youth development in the region. These opportunities mean a great deal to the young people involved,” Bowman said.
The Regionals were sponsored by Edward B. Beharry Ltd, G-Boats Inc, the National Sports Commission, the Ministry of Education and Banks DIH Ltd.
Discussion