United States of America (USA)-based organisation Haynes Foundation continued their support of the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) elite programme by providing the local basketball group with equipment and gear.

The overseas organisation which manages both of Guyana's basketball websiteswww.youthbasketballguyana.com and www.guyanabasketball.com, donated 40 pieces of reversible training tops, jumps ropes, bandages, cones, 30 internationally approved basketballs for mini/girls and regular competition and a portable game clock along with a manual scoreboard to booth.

The manual scoreboard according to YBG organisers is expected to enhance the upcoming the regional conference games which are expected to tip off on May 3.

Meanwhile Co-director of YBG Chris Bowman expressed his gratitude for the support from the Haynes Foundation and their ongoing support to youth basketball in the country.

The Haynes Foundation Inc. supports the humanitarian, educational and sporting needs for the children of Guyana regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2006, Haynes Foundation has distributed goods, equipment and services to more than 500 children. The mission of the Haynes Foundation is to provide the necessary resources and services to enhance the personal growth and development of disadvantaged children who might otherwise never realize their potential in both Guyana and the USA.

The specific purposes of the Haynes Foundation are to:

Support social issues in the development of sports and education in Guyana and USA;

Deliver sports clinics, equipment and activities for student athletes in Guyana;

Foster youth-serving programs to support health, education, youth and family development;

Raise the awareness of AIDS/HIV, STDs and Teenage Pregnancy prevention;

Provide clothing, shoes and grooming for under privilege children and Orphanages and

Provide school base services to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, academic drop out, and delinquency.

Our mission is two-fold: The first part involves building an expansive structure for youth basketball by establishing better links between grass-root and youth/school involvement, right up to senior level competition. The second very important connection is related to providing greater opportunities for our youngsters by promoting the value of education through the formation of well rounded student athletes.

The necessity of structure to youth basketball is at the forefront of this initiative but with such growing concerns over illiteracy, HIV/ Aids and other dangerous trends facing our youths, Youth Basketball Guyanawill place equal emphasis on education and personal leadership.

Our hope therefore is that we can play a role in shaping the game for the next generation by working with stakeholder groups, be it the NSC, Ministry of Youth Sport and Culture, Ministry of Education, partners like the Haynes Foundation or the various Associations. We would not be able to do everything, but we can do something. The question then is what is the best that we can do that will create an environment for youth basketball to strive and to lay the foundation for the game to grow in Guyana.