Local basketball gets new president
By WALTER ALIBEY.
Monday, August 9 2010
HUMAN Resources (HR) Consultant Courtney McNish is the new National Basketball Federation of Trinidad and Tobago (NBFTT) president
At the federation’s AGM at the Beach Camp, Palo Seco on Saturday, McNish got the nod to replace stand-in president Kelvin Roberts.
But, however, McNish told Newsday he was reluctant to complete a term started by Brian Manning.
Manning submitted his resignation in June, a decision that had board members scrambling to put the federation back on stable footing.
In the interim, a decision was taken to have general secretary Roberts act as president until the AGM was called.
McNish explained he would have preferred to take over when Manning’s term in office expired in March next year.
“But I told myself I could not just sit back and watch the sport go down to nothing, following the reign of the former president,” McNish said.
He indicated the federation is in extreme debt.
“We will have to embark on a total clean-up operation. There is absolutely no account, no monies to be found and no statements or audit to be found, the new basketball boss explained.
Federation’s vice-president of finance Conrad Pierre was not present at Saturday’s meeting.
Meanwhile, Manning unsuccessfully attempted to respond to a barrage of questions that were thrown at him.
Among them were concerns about contracts signed between the federation and the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB), Blink Broadband/TSTT and the Boom Champions- Radio 94.1 FM for the National Basketball Championships.
McNish said among his first order of business at the helm will be to launch an investigation into the affairs of basketball during the team’s participation at the Centro Basketball Tournament in July last.
McNish has also ordered a review of the existing competitions at the zonal level and will seek to patch up the federation’s relationship with the new Minister of Sport Anil Roberts and the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago.
He also said he wants to finalise a permanent home for the sport which was initially given at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
