Six teams, including the defending champions from Trinidad & Tobago, are battling for youth basketball supremacy at the Beausejour Indoor Facility this week. The third annual Aloysius ‘Loloy’ Daniel Youth Classic Tournament will run until Friday.
Catering to Under-18 boys, the tournament is named after a late former national basketballer. Daniel, who had migrated to Canada, passed away after a brief battle with illness. He was well known as a passionate supporter of local sports.
“There is a lot of local young talent on display and we’re looking forward to some exciting basketball,” said Kala Guiste, president of the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation, and head coach of East Coast Academy (ECA). “The future of basketball is here and we’re giving them that platform to showcase their skills.”
Guiste contends that with the Windward Islands School Games being cancelled this year, this third edition of the Loloy Youth Classic takes on additional significance.
“With the Windward Islands School Games not happening it is a key tournament, becausemost of the kids there would have been in preparation for Windward Islands Games,” said Guiste. “And now they are getting that regional engagement that they would have gotten at Windward Islands. So it is a key tournament.
“Also, the philosophy behind the start of it was to give them some court time before the schools’ tournament, which normally starts in September or October. So it serves two purposes, really.
“This year it’s even more important, more critical, because a lot of those kids, the better ones, the more elite ones would have been in preparation for the Windward Islands School Games, so now they have that avenue to compete at a regional level. So it is indeed a great opportunity for them.”
The ECA Lions were unbeaten until the 2023 final, when they lost to Trinidad & Tobago-based New Chapter Global Sport Academy (NCA).
Led by head coach Kern George, NCA returns with reigning tournament MVP Judah Guy, who delivered a stellar performance last year.
Alongside Guy, 2024 TT Schools Basketball National Championships Under-17 MVP Jervais Edwards-Caracciolo and East Zone Secondary Schools Basketball Championship Under-20 MVP, Samuel Edwards, are expected to bolster the team’s efforts.
NCA will be fielding two teams for the competition, which will also include two ECA teams, the Tigers and Lions, as well as Basketball for the Future Pitbulls, and Soufriere Kings.
Patrons at the games will have the opportunity to win prizes and giveaways.
