By Neto Baptiste
Former national basketball coach, George Hughes, has hinted that a difference of opinion on the way forward with the basketball association’s executive back in 2016 played a major role in his decision to leave the post at that time.
Hughes, who has since reapplied for the job, said his main focus was on building a programme but that the leadership of the day wanted instant results.
“I think, from my perspective, that what I had set out to do wasn’t accomplished fully. My thought process and the thought process of the executive probably didn’t meet at the same place and there are a couple of little things that happened on the inside that I just don’t want to bring to the public,” he said.
“I was more on the emphasis of having a programme and I just think that maybe it was my fault and I didn’t explain to them enough that a team can’t compete at the level they wanted to compete and we had to develop programmes and we have to make the programmes sustainable,” he added.
Hughes, who coached the team to a bronze medal in the 2015 Central Basketball Championships, said he also wants an opportunity to mentor young and aspiring coaches.
“The other thing is that I think I have some knowledge of how to help the situation and all I wanted to do was just impart my knowledge to other people because I don’t want to be there forever either. I want to be able to past the knowledge that I have to some young coach and mentor them so they could continue the programme,” the coach said.
The Antigua and Barbuda Basketball Association, in March, advertised the top coaching position which was previously held by Americans John Spezia and Jay Harrington