Saint-Martin's U18 team won the first edition of the Sisters Islands Basketball Tournament this weekend against the United States, 33 to 30. This successful inaugural event underscores the Territorial Committee's ambition to establish the island as a premier destination for Caribbean basketball.
The cup will stay home this year. This weekend, Saint-Martin's U18 team won the first edition of the Sisters Islands Basketball Tournament on home turf, against the team from the United States. “Saint-Martin got off to a good start and led by 10 for a good while, then in the second quarter, the USA applied pressure and tried to catch up,”says Will Williams, Deputy Coordinator of the Northern Islands Territorial Basketball Committee (CTBIN). “They missed their last 3-point attempts,”. A close, intense game, won 33-30 by the Saint-Martin team, which provided a great show for the public who came to cheer on the players.
For the occasion, Saint-Martin's selectors had called upon their best players. In addition to players from local clubs, young Shafari Francillette, now based in Marseille, and Kyvan Richardson, currently playing for a team in the United States, returned to their island to lend a hand to their teammates. The matches took place from Friday, May 15 to Saturday, May 16, but the 8 delegations from the Caribbean and the United States stayed on the Friendly Island a little longer. “It involved a lot of logistics, but we had many partners who stepped up, especially for the accommodation and transport of the visiting players,” explains Samuel Gumbs, president of the CTBIN. Nearly 400 meals were also provided by the Territorial Fund for School Works of Saint Martin.
“It's important to highlight our young people, especially the U18s, who rarely get the chance to play in a competition on the island, with a real season and spectators present to encourage them,” summarizes Samuel Gumbs. Through this tournament, the CTBIN and the Center for Excellence and Education through Sport (CEES), also partners, aim to make Saint-Martin, “the hub of Caribbean basketball.”. A successful first edition for the organizers, who intend to renew the event next year, this time adding women's teams.
OVERALL RANKING
1- St MARTIN
2- USA
3- MARTINIQUE
4- GUADELOUPE
5- STATIA
6- TORTOLA
7- SINT MAARTEN
8- ANGUILLA
Source: LePelican
