Team 758 Shines - At Antilles 3x3
Saint Lucia’s team participation at the recent Antilles 3x3 was quite impressive.
Saint Lucia’s Male and Female National 3x3 teams returned home from a successful team and nation building Antilles 3x3 Hoops Finals in Guadeloupe.
A total of 68 players from 10 regional countries participated in the three (3) day event, which apart from the 3x3 Mixed Nations Basketball Tournament also featured a Youth Leadership and Life Skills workshop.
Female Team Captain Mia George, called for more participation in 3x3 Basketball games, especially during recess periods at school. She said the exercise can be used as a practical method to raise awareness of the sport and to attract more young players.
During the Youth Leadership Workshop, Mia said, “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”.
The St Lucian teams’ performed well and were able to add to their skill sets and leadership abilities that would be advantageous to them on and off the court.
Games were played on Saturday and Sunday and with the mixed nation’s format players from 9 of the 10 countries present were able to play in the finals.
Saint Lucia’s Romia Joseph together with Breanna Charles from Trinidad and Tobago, Raymi Coueta from Martinique and Rhea Richards from Antigua and Barbuda won the Antilles 3x3 Female Finals. Mia George’s team MSNK Tabs placed third overall in the competition.
Despite the male team not featuring in the winner’s circle, Cheic Alphonse’s squad placed second and Cletuson Leon and the Underrated Kings run ended in the semi-finals.
Co-organizer and President of the ‘Ligue Régional de Guadeloupe de Basketball’ Patrice Alexis, insisted that the gathering was able to build a fraternity and a tolerance within the youths of the Caribbean, “although we are from different territories, we all dream of the same sport”.
Team Saint Lucia consisted of Renair Yarde, Cletuson Leon, Keon Allen and Cheic Alphonse (Male), Mia George, Andaizia Cherry, Sybille Eugene and Romia Joseph(Female).
