The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE 37th Hugh Campbell Classic got off to a controversial start as the opening game ended in a forfeit.

The St Anne’s Blue Waves walked off the floor just prior to tip-off against the Bahamas Elite Sports Academy Hawks, ceding the win to the Hawks.

Blue Waves head coach Shamal Paul had no comment on the reasoning behind the forfeit.

However, Hawks head coach Rodney Curry was adamant that his team was not in violation of any tournament rules and proper documentation of his players had been vetted by event organisers.

“I overheard the coach from the next team make a comment saying that ‘he’s not playing 20-year-olds’ but we play a legitimate organised regularised circuit in the United States. These kids are preparing for college basketball, and we are a sports academy.

“My oldest players are 18, they are high school aged. This is the level that high school basketball should be at. There are high school teams with 6’5” point guards and 7’0” centres, we have to defend those players when we travel so their size is nothing out of the norm.”

Curry also serves as the director of BESA and is the organiser of its affiliated Top Elite Showcase.

“It’s a school designed for athletes that want to compete at a high level. They do academic courses designed for them to get into colleges, universities and they do four and-a-half hours of sports training every day. No matter the sport, the programme fits you in so you can compete at the world level,” he said.

“There was no problem with the organisers. These are young men, if we are trying to get them to the next level then let’s just play basketball and focus on improving the product.”

In the first contested on the floor, the CR Walker Knights defeated the Kingsway Academy Saints.

Today’s schedule begins at 5pm with the Government High Magic against the Temple Christian Suns. At 6pm the BAISS Runners-Up, Queen’s College Comets will face the CV Bethel Stingrays, followed by the CW Saunders Cougars versus Teleos Cherubims at 7pm and the CC Sweeting Cobras against the BAISS champion St. John’s Giants at 8pm.

A total of 28 teams have been divided into four pools of seven in the double elimination format tournament that concludes Monday, February 25, at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

The Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons are the defending champions.

The Dame Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins, the recently crowned Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s champions, head pool one along with the CR Walker Knights, the Jordan Prince William Falcons, Grand Bahama’s Sir Jack Hayward Wildcats, Bimini’s Gateway Academy, Mt Carmel Cavaliers and the Kingsway Academy Saints.

Grand Bahama champion, the St George’s Jaguars lead pool two that also includes the GSSSA runners-up CI Gibson Rattlers, Government High Magic, Charles W Saunders Cougars, Patrick Bethel from Abaco, Teleos Cherubims and the Temple Christian Suns.

In pool three are Tabernacle Baptist, Bahamas Elite, CC Sweeting Cobras, the Hugh Campbell runners-up; the Eight Mile Rock Bluejays from Grand Bahama; Central Eleuthera; St John’s Giants and the St Anne’s Blue Waves.

And in pool four are Grand Bahama’s Sunland Baptist; the CV Bethel Stingrays, Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves; Grand Bahama’s Bishop Michael Eldon Warriors; Abaco’s Agape Academy; Zion Academy and the Queen’s College Comets.