Suriname's young female talents are ready for the 3x3

HANNASLUST (Suriname) — Not even the lack of basketball shoes could stop dozens of girls and young women from continuing to take steps forward in their athletic development in Suriname. Even under the rain, the group of players from the Hannaslust community enjoyed a full day of activities prepared by the Suriname Basketball Association (SBA), including clinics and competitions in the 3x3 modality, and shared meals and refreshments.

The initiative called Masters of the Streetz took place in Ballers Club Wanica, in the outskirts of the capital city. Some were surprised by the fact that most participants were girls and young women from the ages of 10 to 19 years, evidence that there’s a need in that sector to be a part of basketball, and that there's much potential to be developed.

“Hannaslut is a low-income neighborhood with a small court,” explained SBA President Conrad Issa. “We've noticed that they've demonstrated their talent in competitions, so we've organized a 3x3 base program for all ages, and most participants were girls.

Around 44 boys and girls participated in this activity that concluded with a mixed tournament in the U13 and U15 categories. The winning teams received monetary prizes.

“We had our 3x3 coaches and trainers there. In the morning we had clinics for the players, we organized them by ages in teams, then we had some soup and refreshments, and we closed the day with a competition,” added Issa.

The event was a joint effort between the SBA and the Netherlands Embassy in Suriname. The President expects to continue receiving the financial support of the Embassy to continue projects like these and broaden the horizons of the population that attend them. Balls and gifts were also given to the recreational leaders of the vicinity.

“(The program) will conclude on June 30 of this year and we hope that with all the activities we did and the results we witnessed we can have the continuous support of the Embassy,” stated Issa, while also explaining the reasons to continue onward with the project. “We've only reached and involved a small part of the community. We haven't been to the district or farther than the city, where there's much to do at a base level with our new basketball players, both boys and girls.”

President Issa also assured his commitment to the community of Hannaslust, where he intends to assist them in the fundraising process and in finding the resources to improve their recreational facilities.

FIBA