Coach of the Beepat Scorpions basketball club Vejai Panday said that this year’s All-Star extravaganza which is set for October 31-November 1 would be the best ever in the event’s seven-year history.
Considered as ‘basketball players day out’, the All-star event has crammed thousands
of the sport’s lovers into the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to see some of the country’s best teams battle for top prizes and bragging rights in the Three-Point Shoot-Out, Slam Dunk Competition and the All-star Game.
“I think this year will be our biggest. Right now we are planning the event and have plenty new things to bring because this would be our seventh year so we want it big. But unlike the past years, it wouldn’t be named Supligen All-Star anymore and it would not be run by Wild Fire Productions,” said Panday.
It was not stated which name the event would be running under this year but Panday noted that this information would be disclosed at an official launching at month-end.
Since 2006, the event has taken a Georgetown versus Linden format at both the junior and senior levels as well as having overseas participation, especially from Trinidad and Tobago.
The twin island republic guard, Steven ‘Lighter’ Lewis has literally set the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall ablaze with his all-round game and high flying manoeuvers in the All-Star game and also in the Slam Dunk contest which he won in 2007.
However, Panday told Stabroek Sport that this year, they are still going to keep the Linden/Georgetown rivalry alive and are also considering having more overseas participation once they have enough corporate support.
“Well we still want to have the Linden/GT thing going but like I said we are planning and we still have to talk to the Federation and Sub-associations.
Also we would like to have a Caribbean All-star team taking on a Guyana All-Star team but we are still planning, because it would cost us a lot and we’re still trying to get sponsors and so on,” said Panday.
The Beepat Scorpions All-Star started in 2002 and featured players from teams in Georgetown divided into ‘East’ and ‘West’ like in the NBA All-Star event.
At the last All-Star night, Linden swept both the senior and junior games while Stephon Gillis won the senior Three Point Shoot-Out contest and Orin Rose took the junior honours.
But it was Ravens player Tyron Hamid who stole the show in the Slam Dunk contest, becoming the first and only person to win both the junior and senior championships.
