By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
DIRECTOR of Education Lionel Sands commended AF Adderley Junior High School for organising the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic, which for the past 30 years has symbolised discipline, determination and zeal as the participants are given an opportunity to realise their potential and showcase their abilities.
As a former student of AF Adderley when it was a secondary school, Sands said that while he never had the pleasure of playing in the tournament, he was delighted to be back at his alma mater, having graduated in 1969 when the late honouree Hugh Campbell was the principal.
While delivering the keynote address during the official opening ceremonies for the tournament, which got started on Monday, Sands said the tournament has embodied team work and brings out the best of the best in the competition that has been exhibited by the players and coaches.
He encouraged the participants in this year’s tournament to “reinvest in the game of basketball and be relentless in the pursuit of your dreams, maximise your energy in and off the court and to be determined to overcome the obstacles that may come your way.”
The theme for this year’s tournament is “Driven to pursue excellence.”
The tournament has returned to AF Adderley for the first time in more than five years after the Minister of Education, Science and Technology replaced the old floor with a new one. The new floor was christened during day one of the week-long competition on Monday.
However, Father Roderick Bain, a priest at St Barnabas Anglican Church, prayed for and sprinkled the holy water on the floor while he also prayed for the players participating in the week-long tournament and encouraged everybody to take care of the floor because “it is very expensive.”
To commemorate the event, a colourful ceremony was held just before the start of day two of the tournament. There were performances from the Oakes Field Primary Marching Band, Mannarey Lightbourne in the form of a pantomime, Mt Carmel’s cheerleading team, Orlando ‘Landlord’ Miller, the AF Adderley Junkanoo Dancers, the Carmichael Primary Flagerettes, the AF Adderley School band and a junkanoo rush-out by CR Walker Secondary High.
A number of dignitaries were on hand, including sports director Evon Wisdom, Dr Keith Campbell, who represented the Hugh Campbell family, Allsworth ‘Whitey’ Pickstock and Doug Collins, who were among the founders of the tournament, Alfred Forbes, the long-time tournament director, Stacy Mackey, representing Vitamalt, one of the major sponsors, and former principals and vice principals from AF Adderley.
The double elimination format tournament is slated to run through Monday when the championship game will be played at the Kendal Isaacs Gym. The visiting teams from Grand Bahama and the Family Islands are due in town Wednesday to start competition.
It’s anticipated that because of the crowd control, the tournament will actually move to Kendal Isaacs by Saturday when the playoffs start. But for the next few days, organisers are looking forward to playing in the newly refurbished AF Adderley Gym.
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