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In 1966 a young man called Larry ‘Engine’
Belfon emerged from the Schools Basketball League to skipper a
National Under 14 Team to a World Biddy Basketball Tournament in
Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. Also making the team was Frank
Nimblet. From `67, the dominance of Gun Hawks continued in the
Southern Basketball Association with players like: Wayne, Lance
and Glen Murray, Hollis ‘Chinks’ ST. John, Lincoln ‘Big Lan’
Constantine, Mark Daniel, ( all of whom became National
players); Enos Elliot, Neville Anatol Frederick and Gurney
Warrick.During this time too, a Keep Fit League was organised as
a feeder to the continued successes of the Hawks. Notable teams
were Cardinals, Eagles and Lakers.
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A developmental programme for the schools
was initiated by Hollis St John. Out of this came the Point
Fortin School Basketball League, featuring teams from:- Inter
RC, Point EC, Tutorial, (Point Fortin`s first Private Secondary
School), Swan`s Commercial, PFC, Cap de Ville and Egypt Gov`t,
SDA and ASJA.
These two
events significantly changed basketball in the Oil Town. Gun
Hawks now fielded two teams in the major competitions. The ‘A’
Team, comprising the senior players, controlled the boards in
the Northern League and the ‘B’ Team, the younger ones, ruled
the rings in the Southern League.
It was from these events, players of
national significance emerged: Victor ‘Voot’ O` Garro – National
Skipper and first Point citizen, to play professional
basketball, spending 3 years in Santo Domingo. Larry ‘Engine’
Belfon, Ronnie De Silva, Elvis ‘Cornbread’ Williams (who
represented T&T at the U19 level) – all National Players and
George ‘Panther’ Charles, coach to the National Team.
Up until 1970 these Gun Hawks teams ruled
National Basketball. However with the departure of some of the
senior players and the rise of the younger ones, the Black City
Trotters came into being, as a split from Hawks. The team was
Larry Belfon, Anslem Henry, Ronnie De Silva, Fabien Mc Leish,
Elvis Williams, the Neptunes- Lancelot and Rainsford, Telfor
Simon, Wayne Braithwaite and Trevor Cyrus (National Player)
During this time also the Schools`
League was taken over by ‘Dock of the Bay’.
Around 1972, Trotters gained sponsorship
from the Civic Centre and became the Point Fortin Civic Centre
Black City.
In 1974, ‘Chinks’ captained the National
Team. Gun Hawks led by ‘Voot’, and including Earl Phillips,
David Thomas, Morris Peterkin (deceased) and Cletus ‘Zabida’
Simon, continued to flourish, in the National League. However by
1975, Hawks and Black City reunited and became Black Hawks. This
team won the first ever First City Bank Share the Wealth
Competition and continued as Champions until 1981.
Of significance between those years was
the tour to Venezuela in 1978 and the sponsorship of the team in
1981 by Dunlop Trinidad. The Team became the Dunlop Hawks.
‘Voot’ also received the Humming Bird Silver Medal for his
service in `81.
Basketball in Point Fortin declined
dramatically from1980. Only a programme by ‘Voot’ O`Garro
realised an improvement in scholarship offers. Players like –
Samuel Alexander, Gerard Joseph, Lendore, Dunbar, Marlon ‘Ice
Pick’ Lewis and Chang Fong, were all protegees of the
lanky centre.
(information supplied by Larry Belfon)
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