By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

EVERY year the focus of attention for the Hope Centre’s ‘Peace on da Street’ Basketball Tournament has been the showdown between the Politicians and the Clergy.

As the 30th yearly edition of the week-long tournament comes to a close on Family Night on Sunday night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, the spectators can look for that renewed rivalry once again as they also cheer on their respective teams competing for the titles in the other divisional match-ups.

They include the Tropical Gyro - 13-and-under; Myers Group - 16-and-under, Sun Oil - 20-and-under, We Buy You Sell - Church; Design Group - Open and Jamaica/Bahamas Imports - Corporate divisions. 

There will also be the Mr Ship It 3-point shooting contest as well as the Joey’s Slam Dunk contest, featuring some of the top ballers in the country.

According to tournament founder Dr Carlos Reid, there will be lots of prizes, including round trip tickets, weekend passes at Atlantis and flat screen televisions being offered.

But the highlight is the politicians vs the clergy for bragging rights.

For Shanendon Cartwright, the Member of Parliament for St Barnabas, he has grown with the tournament, having competed in the tournament before he got started in politics. 

“It’s just been such an honour and a pleasure to play in this tournament in the pastors versus the politicians game,” said the former outstanding basketball player fat St Augustine’s College and Franklin Pierce University,

“It continues to be for a very good cause - Peace on da Streets - and the level of crime in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It’s always relevant.”

What will be more relevant is the team that the politicians are expected to assemble to avoid suffering another loss to the clergy this year.

“We are ready to put the beating down on the pastors and after they pray for us, and we pray for them, we are going to make sure they get their things.”

However, Prophet Don Clarkwe, senior pastor of Emmanuel Prophetic and Deliverance Tabernacle,, was a little more diplomatic in his outlook of the game.

“We want to send a message of unity, love, fellowship and to bring peace back, not just in the nation, but also in areas of power, politics and the street etc,” said Clarke, a former player for the Government High School.

But there was a specific message that Clarke conveyed to the politicians.

“We want to beat them again,” he said. “We’ve been practicing and preparing and we know it’s going to be a battle, but we are very confident because we’ve been praying and asking the Lord to help us and we have put in the work as well.”

The final rosters have not been disclosed. They are normally kept a close secret until game time. But one time is for certain, Reid said this will be another epic performance you don’t want to miss on Sunday.

Following the completion of their games on Saturday at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Courts at the Hope Center, the action will commence at 2 pm on Sunday with the divisional championships before the Politicians vs Clergy showdown d=bring the curtain down.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Hope Center on the Bahamas Games Boulevard in the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center.