"I had no dealings with money for the tour"
By Clyde Pestano
Stabroek News
November 20, 2003
Herbert Adams, the coach who accompanied the combined schools under-19 team which toured St. Lucia recently, says he had no dealings with monies before, during or after the tour.
Speaking with Stabroek Sport yesterday the coach said: "I want to make it clear, I was not involved in any financial dealings or administrative arrangements for the tour with regards to sponsorship or any other such matter." He added that all he was supposed to do was coach and that is exactly what he did.
The self-employed businessman disclosed that he only got his ticket for the tour when he went to the airport the day after the team had left. He said that he travelled to St. Lucia along with GABA secretary Perry Woolford, Steve Neils Jr., and Dorian Adams who had been injured in a motorcycle accident prior to the team's selection.
The coach emphasised that he would like the public to know "I was not associated in any way in any money arrangements with Mr. Woolford and or Mr Andrews."
According to the coach, he got involved with the tour due to a request by GABA treasurer Eon Andrews for him to look at some under-19 players who were participating in the Solutions 2000 Inc. schools tournament earlier this year. According to him his job then was to help select a team which would eventually represent Guyana in St. Lucia.
Adams claimed that Woolford had asked him orally to accompany the team to St Lucia. He also said that he had a letter from GABA president Raphael Douglas which he had requested, appointing him as coach during the time when the Georgetown schools were competing in the schools tournament. He maintained too that he was not paid any money and his services were for free because of his love for the game and the upliftment of the youths who play basketball.
He added: "I was never hired." However, Adams said he was promised payment for his services but has not received a cent. Quizzed as to why he stuck with the team even though he had reservations, Adams said at one point he had wanted to pull out of the entire under-19 preparations for the tour, even before the former designated assistant coach Brian Carter had pulled out.
According to him he stayed on because he wanted to finish what he had started with the youngsters. He said, "I wanted to pull out because I was not too happy with certain arrangements but I stayed because I had made a commitment. I also thought that the tour would have been beneficial for the youngsters since exposure is always good."
According to him the Guyanese were told that they would be playing five games but they only played three. In addition he said that the people in St. Lucia did not seem to be expecting them since at this time netball is the major sport being played on the Island.
He said that he was also under the impression that there would have been scouts looking to spot talented players in the Guyana team but there were none during the games.