POINTE-À-PITRE (Guadeloupe) - The Antilles3x3 Hoops Final was held over the weekend in Guadeloupe. In line with the International Basketball Foundation's (IBF) Basketball For Good strategy, the project’s main objective was to initiate social impact in the region.

68 youths from 10 countries of the region took part in the 3-day event along with a Youth Leader and a 3x3 coordinator from each country. The youths were selected through national qualifying events in which over 1000 players participated. 

The event was made up of a Youth Leadership and Life skills workshop and a 3x3 mixed nations basketball tournament.

“This third Edition included a 3x3 tournament with combined teams from different countries that gave a better example of social and sports integration”- Eduardo Bazzi,Basketball For Good Advisory Committee President

The workshop was facilitated by 3x3 Unites, an NGO specialized in teaching youth to use 3x3 basketball for community building and to become role models and leaders in their local communities.

The workshop took place all day Friday as well as Saturday and Sunday morning. The players, Youth Leaders and 3x3 coordinators all took part and learned how to use the leadership tools that you can gain from basketball on the court in your everyday life.

3x3 Unites Co-Founder Mark Schuurman exclaimed, “we were inspired by the warm welcome and the creativity of the hard-working Caribbean people. We saw a lot of potential on display through young leaders stepping up on and off the court. All participants showed great flexibility while working, adapting and growing within the program”.

The particpants were encouraged to think about what they can do to help their communities. St Lucia player, Mia George is aware of a lack of female participation in basketball “organizing 3x3 basketball during school lunch hours would allow more girls to be made aware of the game. We don’t have enough female players but if we can introduce them to the game during school, show them that it’s fun and easy to play, we may start to head towards gender equality in basketball players”.

Mia George explains her idea during the Youth Leadership Workshop

The participants were able to learn about the IBF’s Basketball For Good mindset and encouraged to think about how Basketball can be used as a tool to influence positive change in their lives and in their communities.

Zahra Ashby from Barbados, who won the event’s female #BasketballForGood award by showing the most leadership potential on and off the court shared, “Basketball for Good means to me that whatever you learn from basketball you can carry with you all the way, the character the habits you can carry it through life.”

#BasketballForGood tag created by Artists Iwo, Money, Mia, Picks and Ylda Decrop and signed by all participants

On Friday, the players were put into mixed nations team in order to create links between the different countries of the region. To play together, the youths were able to overcome cultural and language barriers while building lasting friendships.

Timothy Richmond from Guyana, the male #BasketballForGood award winner, stated “what an astonishing pleasure it is to be feel the culture and foreign lifestyle of a new soil and new people”.

Games were played on Saturday and Sunday with a great atmosphere and the mixed nations format allowed youths from 9 of the 10 countries present to play in the finals.

The mixed nations teams got to know each other on and off the court

'The Foreigners' won the boys final. The team was composed of Terry Baptiste from Guadeloupe, Kimel Dodds from Dominica, Kyrone Alexander from Barbados and Rhonde Davis from Antigua and Barbuda.

The girls final was won by 'the Moonstarts'. The team was made up of Breanna Charles from Trinidad and Tobago, Romia Joseph from Saint Lucia, Raymi Coueta from Martinique and Rhea Richards from Antigua and Barbuda.

A Dunk and shoot our contest was also held during the event. Maliek Short from Sint Maarten performing the most impressive dunk and Nicolas Marthrin from Martinique winning the shoot out contest.

Ewan Ostan, the 3x3 coordinator from Martinique understood the power of the project to use basketball as a tool for social development, “An incredible experience and opportunity to get to know our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean. What a great relationship between sport and the promotion of values ​​and psycho-social skills”.

Patrice Alexis, the President of the 'Ligue Régional de Guadeloupe de Basketball' who helped organize the event, insisted that this gathering was able to build a fraternity and a tolerance within the youths of the Caribbeans, "although we are from different territories, we all dream of the same sport".

Basketball For Good Advisory Committee President Eduardo Bazzi was present throughout the event, “I was impressed by our Basketball for Good Project in the Antilles. It is a great combination of social and sports event, bringing together males and females from 10 countries in the region. This third Edition included a 3x3 tournament with combined teams from different countries that gave a better example of social and sports integration”.

Molten provided all the balls for the event while Peak gave each participant a game uniform.

FIBA