DERRICK GARRETT’s legacy will be carried on for at least another year.
Local basketball is sticking with the current Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA) executive through to 2019 as the world body, FIBA, undergoes another change to its governance cycle.
The decision was made during Tuesday’s extraordinary general meeting after the general body opted to keep the committee in place for another year instead of going to the polls in both 2018 and 2019.
Local elections were constitutionally due in January, but FIBA has asked that all national and regional federations stay on until 2019 to align four-year election cycles with theirs.
“We put forward two scenarios to the general body. Either vote for a new executive in January and have elections again in 2019, or just leave us in place for another year and they decided to just leave the executive as is,” explained BABA secretary Charlene Leacock.
Williams elevated
As a result, former national player and Lumber Company Lakers head coach, Francis Williams, has been elevated from the post of second vice-president to interim president following Garrett’s death in August.
First vice-president Charles Griffith, who is contesting the St John seat for the Barbados Labour Party, resigned earlier in the year to seemingly focus on politics.
“The council remains the same and we have the authority to bring various people who would have the skills we need on to our boards without going back to the general body for elections,” said Leacock.
The BABA executive has enjoyed a measure of success and financial stability since Garrett took over the reins in 2011 following some rather turbulent times.
But the council’s finances will be tested again next season as the the association prepares to send both the men’s and women’s senior national teams to the Caribbean Basketball Championships.
“We couldn’t have made any decisions until we went to the general body and got their decision on what to do with the council. Now we have to sit down and decide the way forward,” Leacock said.
“Right now the priority is to carry on Garrett’s legacy and prepare for next season the best way we know how to with a heavy national programme upcoming.” (JM)
