Historic expansion sets up blockbuster National School Basketball Festival

Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) has officially launched the historic 19th edition of the National School Basketball Festival (NSBF), and this year’s tournament promises to shatter all previous records.

What began 18 years ago as a modest Under-18 competition has evolved into the country’s premier secondary school basketball showcase.

To date, it has served as a major platform for grassroots athletic development, engaging nearly 14,000 student-athletes since its inception.

When the main event tips off from June 28 to July 5 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the tournament will truly become a national affair. For the first time in NSBF history, giants from the coast and deep hinterland will collide, with teams from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Essequibo making their highly anticipated debuts.

Furthermore, in a stunning shift in the balance of schoolboy hoops power, the contingent from Berbice is set to outnumber the traditional powerhouses of Georgetown.

Organisers have also introduced a crucial rule change designed to prioritise developmental depth over pure star power.

This year, student-athletes are strictly limited to competing in just one division.

YBG Co-Director Chris Bowman explained that this strategic shift will prevent elite players from dominating multiple age groups, ensuring more court time for a wider pool of talent and producing truly “bona fide divisional champions.”

Four fiercely contested national titles will be on the line: the Boys’ Under-14, Under-16, and Under-18 championships, as well as the ultra-competitive Girls’ Under-16 crown.

KFC Guyana returns for its third consecutive year of support and second as the headline title sponsor, alongside Edward B. Beharry Limited, who are celebrating a monumental 15-year partnership with YBG.

Speaking at the official launch, Beharry Brand Manager Malisa Jeffers and KFC Marketing Analyst Jonathan Milford both reaffirmed their companies’ commitment to shaping young athletes into confident future leaders.

Additional vital support comes from long-standing partners G-Boats, Banks DIH, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

The government’s backing was also heavily emphasised by Assistant Director of Sport, Franklin Wilson, who lauded YBG’s nearly two decades of consistency.

Wilson highlighted an ongoing national initiative led by President Dr Irfaan Ali to construct basketball courts in most schools across Guyana, a project set to complement YBG’s grassroots infrastructure.

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