A piece of the action in the entertainers vs athletes Celebrity Charity Basketball Game
An all-star performance for West Indies T20 player Christopher Barnwell propelled the Athletes to a comfortable 43-39 win against the Entertainers on Saturday night, August 20, during the Knights’ Basketball Club’s second annual Celebrity Charity All-Star Game at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The 24-year-old cricket all- rounder proved that he was an all-round sportsman when he displayed speed, superior leaping ability and game awareness. Barnwell unanimously won the Most Valuable Player award after registering a game-high 20 points and ten rebounds.
What was even more remarkable about Barnwell’s MVP double-double number was that he was not even part of the Athletes’ starting five. It was not until about halfway into the first half that coach Kezqweyah Yisreal of Top End Fitness Systems checked the national cricketer into the game.
Barnwell, who is also a seasonal football player, provided a dominant presence in the low post, and even displayed his ball handling skills on a few occasions.
The former basketball player from South Ruimveldt Secondary School benefited from spot-on passes from 2010 Sport Journalist of the Year Kiev Chesney, who also added seven points.
Chesney, who was the 2007 national junior 800m champion, inspired his team with his defensive pressure that forced a few turnovers in the first half.
But Barnwell, who played cricket for Guyana at both the Under-19 and senior levels, as well as represented the West Indies, toiled overtime in the low post, and attacked the boards with the tenacity, competitive spirit, and persistence that only an elite athlete could possess. The other two national cricketers, Leon Johnson and Steven Jacobs, also played key roles in helping the Athletes to overcome an early 2-8 deficit and turn things around on the Entertainers.
Attorney-at-Law James Bond and Giftland OfficeMax’s Compton Bobb drilled a pair of 17-foot jumpers in the early minutes of the game to psyche the Entertainers up. Fitness instructor Curtis Mackenzie also came up with two key defensive plays in the form of a steal against Chesney and a block against Barnwell.Wildfire Entertainment’s Jonathon Beepat also penetrated the key on a few occasions during his eight points, and cashed in on a few free throws by drawing the contact on the penetration.
Kaieteur News’ sport journalist Edison Jefford also added six points for the Athletes, to give a respectable account of himself as a former national track and field athlete. Fashion designer and former president of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association, Trevor Rose, added eight points for the Entertainers.
Soca artiste Vanilla, singer Lisa Punch, Sportswoman of the Year Shondell Alfred, and Jody Ann Blake each got a chance to show their skills on court, mostly on the defensive end.
The Knights Basketball Club intended to contribute to the Support Group for the Deaf Persons with some of the proceeds from the event. All the athletes and entertainers had committed to that cause. West Indies cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan apologized, through the organisers, for being absent, since he had to travel to Canada unexpectedly.
In the supporting games, Republic Bank was defeated by Laparkan (who filled in for Scotiabank) 49-52, while Qualfon crushed Giftland OfficeMax 39-21.
Pepsi Sonics’ player Jason Squires led Laparkan with 18 points, while former junior national guard John Fraser scored 11 for Republic Bank. Qualfon’s former junior national player Quacey Lindo scored 17 points, while Panthers’ guard Kevin Cumberbatch led Giftland OfficeMax with nine.
In the final supporting game, the Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) Elite team, comprised mostly of junior national prospects for the 2011 Inter- Guiana Games, defeated Knights 44-31.
Nikkoloi Smith scored 19 points for YBG Elite, while Jason Cort dropped nine for the Knights.
