By TENAJH SWEETING
tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE Glory Basketball Jamboree will make its return to the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium for year two in less than two weeks.
The highly-anticipated basketball tournament will be a three-day event set for May 11-13 starting at 4pm.
This year’s cash prize sits at $5,000, doubling last year’s amount of $2,500. The basketball tourney will feature 10 teams, including the event’s first ever champions the Discount Distributors Rockets.
Also, fans of the tourney can expect appearances from an Abaco and Grand Bahama team as well as a surprise team to make things interesting.
Ricardo Smith, commissioner and chief executive officer of Bahamas Pro Basketball Tournaments, talked about his excitement and the purpose of this year’s basketball jamboree.
“I am very excited that this year we are going to be able to put on the second annual Glory Basketball Jam. “It is an attempt to ensure that the hope is kept alive for professional basketball in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” Smith said.
He added that the tournament gives Bahamian players the opportunity to utilise their talent to secure an income by providing the opportunity for persons to compete for the cash prize.
It is his hope that the tournament will be the stepping stone towards creating a league that will allow for persons to be duly compensated for their talents, efforts and time.
Among the other teams expected to compete at the second edition of the Glory Basketball Jamboree will be the Giants, the returning Pirates basketball team, and the new-look Tucker boys.
This year’s tournament trophy will be dedicated to Ricardo ‘Ricky’ Farquharson.
He is hearing impaired but has seemingly beaten the odds to compete on a national and international level.
Also, a donation will be made to the Centre for the Deaf in honour of the universal role model, according to Smith.
Last year’s award went to Floyd “Off the Wall” Saunders, who was notorious for his infamous throwing the ball off the wall followed by a ferocious slam dunk.
Event organisers are urging Bahamians to come out as it will be a great opportunity to witness the best basketball talent in the country.
Additionally, basketball will not be the only way for persons to occupy their time at the tournament.
“While the basketball tournament is going on there will be a pop-up shop happening, you’re gonna have an opportunity to socialise, and enjoy some nice snacks so it will be a treat to see the level of basketball [teams] we have in this country to vie for the prestigious $5,000 cash prize, annual trophy and individual awards,” the promoter said.
This year’s pop-up vendors will include the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), INO Temporary Tattoo Transformations, and WL empire.
The basketball jamboree will also feature a Sunshine Auto Sales rims competition on Friday.
There will be cars from the auto sales company on display and persons will get the opportunity to put their own rims on display.
The winner will receive a free set of rims courtesy of the company.
For persons that wish to attend the tournament, the cost is $10 and they can reach out to the Glory Basketball Jam Facebook page to have tickets delivered or their email bahprobasket@gmail.com.
With this year’s event set to have prizes ranging from flat screen televisions to stoves, persons will not want to miss the exciting three-day jamboree.
Come out and enjoy.
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