Bequia Basketball Tournament opens

The Twelfth Annual Bequia Basketball Tournament bounced off last Saturday, July 10, at the Clive Tannis Hard Court on Bequia, with twelve teams parading in their colourful uniforms.{{more}}

Team Young Duke was adjudged the Best Dressed Team for 2010 and awarded a cake.

President of Bequia Basketball, Sabrina Mitchell, addressed the teams, along with several other dignitaries, including Dr. Lorraine Friday, Parliamentary Representative for the Northern Grenadines, Herman Belmar, Director of Grenadines Affairs, Teddy James – Chairman of the National Sports Council, and Cleophas Glynn, President of the SVG Basketball Federation.

Mitchell welcomed back the Mustique team to the competition, after a few years absence. She spoke proudly of several changes introduced by the Executive Committee for the 2010 competition, including the acquisition of a pair of wirelessly controlled Daktronics 24-second shot clocks, which represent another new investment for the Association, designed to improve the quality of the game played, and the commitment to channel all revenues back into the growth and development of basketball.

Mitchell also thanked James and the National Sports Council for their continued support and their promise to finance some badly needed repairs to the entrance gates of the Clive Tannis Playing Field and reported that work on this is set to begin very soon.

Mitchell extended her gratitude to sponsors for their social commitment to the young people, despite the difficult financial times, and recognized Karib Cable’s representative, Delissa Skeritt, and welcomed them as a sponsor of Bequia Basketball for the first time.

The tournament will see the debut of a new team in the Second division, the Wizards, coming out of the Young Wizards Under 16 Division.

Speaking on behalf of the Sports Council, James expressed his pleasure at being a part of the event and gave the commitment of the Council to the development of sports in Bequia as an important and positive avenue for our youth, their health and well-being.

Belmar gave recognition to the leadership of the Association, whose management of the sport he said was “exemplary!”

Friday echoed those sentiments and expressed his acknowledgment of the administrative skills of the tournament organizers and suggested that their model should be emulated not only in Bequia but also nationally.

Glynn thanked Coach Junior Sutton for his recent success in the Windwards Tournament as Coach of the Men’s National team, bringing Team SVG home victorious. He also commended the Bequia Association for twelve successful years and wished them continued success.

The teams registered are Young Wizards and Hornets in the Under-16 Division, with the Second Division comprising Wizards, Young Blazers, Rising Stars and Young Duke. The first Division is completed by Duke, East Blazers, Bequia Tech Rising Stars, Mustique Icon, Warriaz and Gladiatorz.

The tournament runs until August 29, with games every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.