Guyana and Grenada square off in build-up to FIBA Men’s Caribbean Championship

Guyana will continue its preparations for the upcoming regional campaign by hosting Grenada in a three-match friendly basketball series beginning Friday (March 6) at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The opening game of the series is set to tip off at 20:30h, with the two sides scheduled to play back-to-back matches over the next three days as part of their build-up to the FIBA Men’s Caribbean Championship, slated for July.

A supporting game on each night will start at 18:30h.

According to President Michael Singh, the series is an important part of Guyana’s preparation plan as the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) continues to invest in the development of the national programme.

The GBF president explained that the federation sees the series as a critical opportunity for the coaching staff to assess players and strengthen team chemistry ahead of the regional championship.

“This series is part of our continued investment in the national programme. It is important for us as we look to build a formidable roster for the Caribbean Championship. These games give our players valuable competitive exposure and help the coaching staff fine-tune the team,” Singh said.

National head coach Adrian Hooper and assistant coach Marlon Rodrigues have assembled what they believe is a balanced squad capable of taking on Grenada and setting the tone for upcoming international assignments.

The squad selected for the series includes Shamar Huntley, Zian Gray, Travis Belgrave, Nikkoloi Smith, Kimmol Grimmond, Dominic Vincente, Domitri Rankin, Jeevon Ross, Akil Hughes, Shelroy Thomas, Brandon Bento and Michael Turner.

Hooper’s unit will be aiming to build cohesion and improve execution on both ends of the court as they continue their preparation for the regional competition.

The series against Grenada marks Guyana’s second international engagement of the year. Earlier in the season, the national side travelled to Suriname, where they competed in the Nations Cup against the host nation and French Guiana.

Those matches, the GBF said, provided valuable game time for several players, and the technical staff will be hoping that the lessons learned from that outing will translate into stronger performances in the upcoming series.