The Tribune

THE annual Sprite Basketball Tournament, which pits the nine Royal Bahamas Police Force summer camps across the various divisions in New Providence in competition, opened on Friday.

For the eighth consecutive year Caribbean Bottling Company, the local producers of Coca-Cola, will be working hand-in-hand with the RBPF to host the four-week tournament.

“Over the past eight years the Sprite Basketball Tournament has become a highlight of the summer camp, with the kids excited to compete and get involved in the tournament,” says Inspector Johnson. “This programme not only allows us, as the police body, to pass on valuable team building and basketball skills to young men, but it also helps us to foster relationships with these young men, which is invaluable.

“CBC has been such a wonderful partner, working with us every step of the way, and literally none of this would be possible without their continued support.”

Cara Douglas, CBC Marketing Manager, said that the Sprite Basketball Tournament was created as a way to offer support to the neighbourhoods across New Providence that the company serves. “In 2008, each of the individual districts were looking for corporate support for their summer camps, and we saw an opportunity to bring the districts together around a positive event, basketball, and the next year the Sprite Basketball Tournament was born. CBC rightly believed this would foster a deeper relationship between the young men, their communities, and the police department. This tournament is a safe and supportive environment for young men to participate in each summer, and we are so proud to continue to support it with the Royal Police Force.”

CBC supports the tournament through organising every facet, ordering uniforms, putting together the end of tournament celebration, giveaways, prizes and ensures that at each event the children are fully hydrated with Sprite, Powerade and Dasani.

The 2015 Sprite Basketball Tournament champions were the South Central Division with the Southwestern Division second. Renard Bridgewater was named Most Valuable Player and Asher Scabella walked away with the 2015 Sprite Sportsmanship award.

The 2016 tournament was officially opened on Friday at the Carmichael Road police station.