Sports
Roneil Walcott
Over 100 young basketballers from across the country got the tools and teachings necessary to further their skills in the fast-paced 3×3 format, when Basketball Fan TT hosted its Clutch Time Showdown development series recently.
The 3×3 basketball series was held in two phases from April 27-May 3, featuring eight internal tournaments hosted in Arima, Bona Air and Maloney. A May 6 Basketball Fan TT media release said each tournament followed the official FIBA 3×3 format and emphasised club-based team formation, structured gameplay and athlete documentation. The teams participating in the Clutch Time series were Advance Genetics, Arouca New Age Lions, Elite Eagles, New Chapter Academy and Spartans TT.
The release said, “A 32-man under-23 draft pool was selected based on performance, coach evaluations and internal scouting. This group will now serve as the foundation for national representation in FIBA and regional events.”
With TT jumping from 74th to 66th in the world rankings and moving from 12th to eighth in the Americas, the release said “this impressive climb not only reflects the strength of local talent and structured gameplay, but has officially placed TT in a qualifying position for the upcoming Pan American Games.”
The release said the series has laid the platform for long-term planning within the national setup and has empowered clubs to manage and execute their own in-house tournaments, while increasing accountability.
National basketballer Moriba De Freitas, who serves as the Basketball Fan TT president, spoke to the importance of the development series.
“The Clutch Time Showdown proves that with structure, opportunity and community alignment, we can uncover and develop the next generation of national athletes right here at home.”
The release said Basketball Fan TT will next plan on hosting quarterly development camps, implementing evaluation standards and preparing the national draft pool for high-level competition.
Basketball Fan TT is a non-profit organisation committed to the growth and development of basketball in the country from the grassroots to the elite level.
