By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
AFTER a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the AF Adderley Junior High School will be bringing back the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic with all games being played at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.
The Classic for senior high school boys basketball teams will be held from Monday, February 20 to Monday, February 27 with 24 teams competing from across the length and breadth of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in four different pools of six teams apiece.
Tournament director Cara Curtis said they are anticipating a grand time as they return the popular event to the local calendar.
“We have the last champions Sunland Baptist coming back to defend their title, along with Tabernacle Baptist, CI Gibson, Doris Johnson, Queen’s College, Jordan Prince Williams and CW Saunders,” Curtis said. “All of the major schools will be participating. We will also have schools from Abaco and Bimini.”
While Sunland Baptist is considered to be the top ranked team in the country, Charles W Saunders is coming off their historic championship victory over Baptist archrivals Jordan Prince Williams Falcons in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ championships that was completed last week.
The Government Secondary Schools Sports Association is currently in their postseason with the CI Gibson Rattlers already clinching their berth in the final that starts today. Their opponents came out of last night’s sudden death playoff between the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves and the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins.
Due to the conditions of the floor in the marquee AF Adderley Gymnasium, they have been forced to stage all of the games at the KGLI Gymnasium, but Curtis said it won’t diminish the level of competition that is known to come out in the tournament.
“There’s nothing that we can do in terms of the venue, so we’re going to make the best of it,” she said.
“I’m certain that even though it would not be the same feeling as the tradition in AF Adderley, persons attending the games will be quite safe in the environment at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.
As for the competition, she expects that it will be just as keenly contested as it’s been in the past prior to taking the break because of the pandemic, which forced organisers to put the event on the shelf until this year.
“Competition is going to be very keen, due to the level of talent that we are seeing being exposed right now,” Curtis said.
“It’s been a two-year hiatus and the coaches, players and fans are looking forward to a high level basketball tournament.
“In addition to the tournament being played, we are asking for the corporate Bahamas to reach out to us at AF Adderley and to come on board and give us their financial support so that we can run another impressive tournament.”
The tournament is designed for players aged 19-and-under, which according to Curtis, means that they can not turn 20 this year.
The players are also prohibited from transferring from one school to another as a 12th grader.
Players who have already graduated will not be allowed to come back and play for a different school.
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