WALTER ALIBEY
Keith Clement, organiser of the Super 10 Basketball League which is held between December and February, will no longer have any involvement in the business of basketball in T&T again.
The board of the National Basketball Federation of T&T in a release that was signed by its president Garvin Warwick yesterday, stated that a decision was taken following a statutory board meeting on Saturday to permanently sever any and all relationships with Clement and completely strike his name from all departments, activities and records of the NBFTT effective immediately.
The release also stated that since Clement's membership with the Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA) was based on his approved membership and good standing with the NBFTT, his exit from local basketball would mean an immediate and automatic expulsion from FIBA.
After three years in office, the Warwick-led NBFTT said the decision to ban Clement came after examination and discussion of a recent letter dated August 11, in which he identified himself as a member of the FIBA and further signed it as a FIBA commissioner.
According to the NBFTT, the board was alarmed by this action since the letter written included legally protected and confidential information acquired via verboten channels and put into the public domain in a twisted context that could dishonour FIBA through the local federation.
Warwick quoted an excerpt from the framework for Financial and Accounting Protocols which conveyed that the general secretary has the power to receive and open all incoming financial mails in the absence of both the president and vice president of finance.
Contacted yesterday, Clement said he received the letter informing him of the federation's decision but he did not know that he was facing any disciplinary matter with the federation.He said that the matter was in the hands of his lawyers so he didn't want to say much.
Clement is an ex-national basketball coach of 1996, 1997 and 2000 and the only FIBA commissioner in the country since 2011. In 2014 the world governing body for basketball sought to re-certify him as FIBA commissioner but it was through the Super 10 Basketball League that Clement grew to prominence.
Clement was also coach of women's basketball (national, north zone and Super 10) champions Courts Horizons, who was voted Coach of the Year for his achievements in 2006 and 2007.