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by pltm
(PLTM) - Under 17 male and female basketball enthusiasts within the British Virgin Islands are currently engaged in the 2nd annual Digicel- NBA Jumpstart Clinic, in what they deem as the performance of their life, as the outcome of this event may be the beginning of a basketball career for a chosen few.
The clinic commenced on Friday, September 2nd at the Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town, with a total of 40 boys and 20 girls. The programme will run until September 4th.
As explained by Digicel’s Brand Ambassador and local basketball coach, Jason Edwin, the competition will see each athlete being judged based on their skills, discipline and attitude.
He noted that five boys and two girls will then be chosen to move on to the elite round of the programme, where they will go up against other under 17 basketballers from 9 other countries in the region.
“At elites it's tougher because you're now playing against the best in the region. We have promising talent that can make it, but it's up to them.”
Over the course of six weeks, the jumpstart clinic will run through a total of 9 countries, where the top 5 boys and 2 girls will move on to the elite completion in the BVI from October 7th-9th.
The nine countries are Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, BVI, Antigua, Turks and Caicos and Grenada.
Senior Director of International Basket for the NBA, Troy Justice noted, “This initiative creates a platform for young talented persons to jumpstart their dreams. We want to create a pathway and exposure for these young players to have further opportunities through the game of basketball, such as student scholarships and much more.”
The event, which is made available by Digicel BVI, is said to be an effort to bring exposure to the young talented basketballers hidden within the Territory.
Digicel’s Maketing Manager, Mr. Kareem Nelson said, “There is so much talent in the BVI that lack exposure. We don't only want to lead in telecommunication, we want to lead the community given space as well. We are going to continue to see how we can assist young people in assisting there dreams. We ensure there is room in our budget to host this event every year.”
He noted that the event is a collaborative effort with the Department of Youth and Sports.
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