The Tribune

IN a two-point game, the South Central Division wins the 7th Annual Sprite Basketball Championship over the Southwestern Division.

For the seventh year Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producer of Coca-Cola products, partnered with the Royal Bahamas Police Force to bring together the nine districts of New Providence in the annual Sprite Basketball Tournament.

For the past four weeks young men from across the island worked together in teams to win the coveted title of “Sprite Basketball Champions” while learning new skills in a friendly, safe environment.

“Over the past seven years the Sprite Basketball Tournament has become a highlight of the youth programmes the RBPF is involved in.

“This programme not only allows us, as the police body, to pass on valuable team building and professional skills to young men, but it also helps us to foster relationships with these young men, which is invaluable,” says Inspector Johnson, of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“Without CBC’s continued support in organising and financing this programme, none of this would have been possible.”

“This is a great programme that teaches young men to work together and accomplish a goal,” says Stephen G Dean, assistant commissioner of police. “We are happy to see this success, and hope that similar programmes can be implemented beyond the summer months.”

“The Sprite Basketball tournament was created by CBC as a way to offer support to the neighbourhoods across New Providence that we serve,” said Cara Douglas, CBC marketing manager.

“Each of the individual districts were looking for corporate support for summer events in their areas, and we saw an opportunity to bring the districts together around a positive event, basketball. 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.”

The South Central Division came out the victors of this year’s tournament. From the South Central Division team, Renard Bridgewater was named most valuable player (South Central Division), and Asher Scabella walked away with the Sprite sportsmanship award.

Each player in the tournament received a Sprite gift bag for their participation, while the winning team walked away with medals, a case of Sprite soda and a Nokia smartphone.