KEEN action will ignite the Rubis “Hooping-by-the-Park” Basketball Tournament, when some 16 plus basketball teams and athletes will vie for the festival championship title, starting on Friday, August 3 at the Freedom Park in Fox Hill.

The tournament is a part of the Fox Hill 2018 Festival, held under the theme: “Many People, One Community,” that commenced July 20 and ends on August 18. A number of events will be held.

Teams wishing to participate in the tournament must be registered by Monday, July 30 in order to compete in the four divisions - 16-and-under, 19-and-under, ladies and men.

The registration for the 16-and-under, 19-and-under and ladies divisions are free of charge. However, there will only be six teams allowed in the 16-and-under and 19-and-under divisions and will be on a first come, first serve basis. There will be a charge of $200 for the men’s teams. They will be playing for a cash prize that will be determined by the amount of teams participating. There is a limit of 10 teams, placed in two divisions of five each.

All teams will be required to have a maximum of 10 players in all divisions.

The proposed annual Rubis “Hooping-by-the-Park” Basketball Tournament is structured on a 10-year plan with the aim to bring former basketball greats together as well as to positively assist youths in gaining exposure and developing their skills. “Hooping-by-the-Park” tournament is a brain-child of two former Bahamian national athletes - Jabari Wilmott, the tournament organiser and Keron Pratt, assistant tournament organiser - who decided that when they completed their schooling in the USA, that they would return home to give back to their country and establish a tournament.

Member of Parliament for Fox Hill Shonel Ferguson acknowledged their efforts and aimed to contribute and give full support to Pratt and Wilmott.

“I am overjoyed to be a part of the tournament, as well as I am elated that these two outstanding young men (in Jabari Wilmott and Keron Pratt) have decided to take this to a reality. We are proud of them,” said Ferguson, who is also planning to be a juggernaut competing athlete in the slam dunk contest. Wilmott, a 24 year old and 2016 graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, as well as a former graduate from St. Augustine’s College (SAC), expressed sincere appreciation and thanks at a press conference on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.

“Hooping by the Park is more than just a basketball tournament for us,” he said. “This is pretty much an experience that we want to give our community. This was an idea that me and Karon actually planned when we were in college.

“We said when we have the opportunity to come back to the Bahamas, this is something that we want to do for the community on the park. So Hooping by the Park serves two reasons – one to showcase the young men and women in our community as well as outside of the community, and two, we want to bring that positive light back to the park.”

Wilmott expressed sincere thanks to individuals in attendance, more so, to their strong sponsor, Rubis Bahamas Ltd., MP Ferguson and the Fox Hill Committee for making this tournament happen.

Pratt, 25, a four year basketball scholarship recipient and 2016 graduate of the University of Cumberland, where he played competitive college basketball from 2012 to 2016, expressed thanks “to all who believed in us,” as well as to the committee and the Fox Hill community for their support.

“Kids in the community have been asking about the tournament and so this year we want to make it more interesting,” he said. “You have to come out and compete every night because you don’t want to get eliminated.”

Pratt, a former student and graduate from CC Sweeting noted that, “this is basketball for all, not just for the Fox Hill Community.

Sean Bastian, an avid basketball coordinator and supporter in The Bahamas for a number of basketball events, is responsible for the tournament format and administration of the event and its running time.

Bastian noted that he “is pleased to be a part of this tournament and when asked, he decided to jump on board.”

The Voice of Fox Hill, Neville ‘Booger-wire’ Taylor, also extended invitation to the entire community to come-out and participate in the community events, more so, the basketball. Since 1979, Taylor has been strongly supporting the Fox Hill, where he received the name, “The Voice.”

The tournament ends on August Monday night.