When Hits and Jams Television stages their inter-ward basketball tournament tonight with a double header at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from 7:30 pm it will certainly be a case of many being called but few being chosen.
Sixteen teams/wards from within Georgetown and its environs have been drawn into two groups, A & B, and will play in a knockout format. From the semi-finals stage the tournament will take a two-best-in-three format and will have a first prize of $500,000 which is also said to be the biggest pay day in local basketball history.
The beauty about the inter-ward basketball tourney is that players will be representing their communities and not clubs and so any team can win at any given time.
North Ruimveldt community is the defending champions after defeating Lodge/ Meadowbrook in the finals in 2007 and the champs will be looking to repeat that performance when they clash with Republic Park/Mocha in the opening game.
National point guards Darcell Harris and Seriah Clarke will lead the star-studded North team with several of the country’s national players on their side. Not much is known about their opponents but since the tournament is not taking a team format, it can go either way.
The second game of the night will see Pelum Doris and the Lodge/ Meadowbrook team battling against McDoom/ Houston. Doris will lead another cast of good players with the likes of Mortimer Williams, Fabian Johnson and Shane Rankin.
Teams around the city and environs are taking this tournament very seriously, calling it the ‘local NBA-Playoffs’ and over the past week they have been engaged in stiff practice sessions.
Although it’s not a club tournament, the competition is expected to be keener than any first division league around the country.
Meanwhile, the teams will have a chance to strengthen their sides in the tournament as the organizers are also allowing one guest player to be part of each side. According to information reaching Stabroek Sport, some of the best players from Linden and Berbice have already been tagged to join some wards in Georgetown.
Inside sources say that high school star and national youth player Akeem Kanhai of Linden is set to join forces with the South Ruimveldt squad while national point guards Steve Neils Jr and Marvin Hartman will also be in one of the wards.
It was also confirmed that Dwayne ‘Brown Sugar’ Roberts will be part of the Charlestown/Albouystown side while Berbician national point guard Royston Crandon should be joining the Werk-en-Rust squad.
The tournament is organized by Hits and Jams in conjunction with the Georgetown Basketball Association (GABA), Courts Pacesetters Basketball Club, Lens Craft Optical and Wind Jammers International Hotel.
So far several other city businesses have come on board to make sure that the tournament lives up to all expectations.
The first place trophy will be sponsored by White Castle Fish Shop while Humphrey’s Bakery has put up the second place trophy and the third and fourth spots will be sponsored by Curtains and Drapes Designs and Kevin Reflections respectively.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) prize will come from Gordon Mosley.
