POINTE-À-PITRE (Guadeloupe) - The 3^rd edition of the Antilles IBF 3x3 Hoops is taking place in just a week in Guadeloupe. 17 boys and girls U18 teams from 15 countries will take part in the 3 day event that includes a 3x3 basketball tournament and a Youth Leadership and life skills workshop. The event was organized in collaboration with Caribbean Basketball Confederation and the 'Ligue Régionale de Guadeloupe de Basketball'.

To earn their trip to the final, the U18 teams had to win the qualifying event in their respective countries. A total of 200 teams and almost 1000 players took part in these events which is a huge increase from last year (120 teams) and speaks to the hard work of the National Federations of encouraging youths to play.

Qualifying Event - Antigua & Barbuda

Following the success of the Young Lions Cup South and the Youth Leaders Basketball Cup, this edition will introduce a mixed nations format for the basketball part of the event. The players will be mixed so that each team consists of 4 different nationalities. This format allows for better interactions between the players of different countries to better overcome language and cultural barriers and helps establish lasting friendships.

Another innovation this year is that each team will be accompanied by a Youth Leader on top of the usual 3x3 coordinator. Youths with a high leadership potential were nominated by the participating National Federations and one from each country was selected to accompany the team and attend the workshops in Guadeloupe. The aim is for the Youth Leaders to acquire the tools to assist the coordinators in developing Basketball For Good programs when they go back to their respective countries.

The leadership and life-skills workshop will be hosted by 3x3 Unites whose main goal is to teach the players, Youth Leaders and coordinators how basketball skills can be transmitted to daily life and how they can use Basketball For Good in their communities.

Basketball is the tool which brings everyone together, but the idea of the event is to show all participants the power that basketball has to be used for good.

The following countries will take part in the event: Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Guyane, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Sint Maarten, Trinidad & Tobago.

Newly formed Basketball For Good advisory committee President Eduardo Bazzi, will be attending the event and looks forward to being on the grounds to see the work the IBF is doing.

"This program goes far beyond the sport of basketball and I'm eager to see the different aspects of the Youth Leadership Workshop and the impact it will have on the youths" exclaimed Bazzi.

 FIBA