72 Players from Region Here This Weekend.
THE Vigie Multi-Purpose Sports Complex will be transformed into an NBA-style setting this weekend as the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation hosts its biggest in its history dubbed the “Antilles IBF 3X3 Under-18 Hoops Finals”.
Over the two days of competition, basketball enthusiasts will witness 52 matches on court.
The event is being held in collaboration with the FIBA Americas and the Caribbean Basketball Confederation — and by extension the International Basketball Foundation — the Department of Youth Development and Sports, Saint Lucia Olympic Committee and other sponsors.
According to the SLBF, a combined 72 players representing 11 men’s teams and 7 women’s teams from the Lesser Antilles and the wider Caribbean will compete.
The men’s category is divided into two pools, A and B, with six and five teams respectively. Each team plays each other in their respective pool. The two top teams from each pool qualify for the semifinal round and play a knockout game all the way to the finals. There will be no classification games and overall standings – places from 3 to 11 and pool standings — are determined by the tournament rules.
From 1:00 p.m. today in the ladies division Pool A, Trinidad and Tobago play Saint Lucia with the latter featuring JermiahEvariste, Mia George, Ramani Lewis Emmanuel and Romia Joseph.
Saint Lucia Olympic Committee General Secretary, Alfred Emmanuel, said that the SLOC welcomes such a tournament to Saint Lucia and hoped that it will help revive local basketball.
“We are committed to providing whatever assistance we can based on our resources to the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation to make this tournament a success,” Emmanuel said.
Permanent Secretary in the Department of Youth and Sports, Donavan Williams, told the organizers that the event was coming at a very important time and that the Department welcomed opportunities whereby Saint Lucia could showcase its talents on the world stage.
“Our capacity as an organization to organize such world-class events will again come to the fore as an opportunity and avenue for our athletes to participate in such an event is also very important to us,” Williams said. “It serves a dual purpose in many respects. We see this as a springboard and platform for the further development of basketball in Saint Lucia.”
President of the SLBF, Leslie Collymore said, “Our mandate speaks to the development of basketball and we feel the Antilles IBF 3X3 Under-18 final speaks directly to the initiative. Earlier this year, we had word with our governing body…to have a 3×3 tournament in the region to develop the sport. The challenge they face was that no one was willing to take on hosting such an event and, primarily, because it was an inaugural event with no blueprint to follow.”
By virtue of its activity in 3×3, Saint Lucia was the first to host a clinic in the region and also stage an official 3×3 competition.
