Four zones to battle in schools basketball

SNEAKERS screeched off the hardwood floors once again at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, on Friday, music to the ears of several hundred teenage basketball players from north to south, who made their eager return to the schools' competition.

Dozens of schools from the East, North and South Central Zones participated in the day's opening ceremony, which included a parade, exhibition matches and skills activities, marking a welcome return to the sport after a near three-year absence.

It marked the start of the 2023 season, comprising four zones, all scheduled to jump off on January 23.

Promising point guard Ty Warwick of Holy Name Convent, Port of Spain, a regular feature of national youth basketball programmes, most recently the under-17 set-up, stole the show, winning both the skills challenge and three-point contest with her typical flair, sharpshooting and finesse.

A North Zone combined team won a round-robin tournament for the boys, ahead of the East Zone and South-Central Zone.

Four schools from Tobago – Mason Hall Secondary, Scarborough Secondary and Signal Hill Secondary – were scheduled to attend but could not travel. However, they will feature in the upcoming league competition.

Presentation College San Fernando were the lone representative from the eight South-Central Zone teams.

The South-Central Zone will be split into four geographic zones for the league competition.

All but two of the 13 schools in the North Zone were present, while the East Zone was represented by nine of its 16 competing schools.

At the opening ceremony, players took on oath to "abide by all the rules of the games" and "(to) respect all calls and decisions of referees, umpires and games officials (and to) act at all times as a true sportsman whose desire to win is only second to the love of the game itself."

The players also declared that "each match is a friendly contest done in the spirit of camaraderie and true friendship of the Secondary Schools Basketball League where we triumph as considerate victors or lose with grace and determined will to win."

Representatives of the ministries of education and sport gave their endorsement of the value of schools' basketball at the opening.

President of the TT Schools Basketball Association Allison Bastien also expressed her delight at the return of competitive basketball to schools.

Competing schools (boys and girls):

North Zone: Belmont Secondary, Diego Martin Central, East Mucurapo Secondary, Fatima College, Holy Name Convent (Port of Spain), Morvant Laventille Secondary, Mucurapo West Secondary, Queen's Royal College, South East Port of Spain, St Anthony's College, St Francis College, St James Secondary and Woodbrook Secondary.

East Zone:

Barataria North Secondary, Brazil Secondary, Caribbean Union College, El Dorado East Secondary, El Dorado West Secondary, Five Rivers Secondary, Hillview College, Manzanilla Secondary, North Eastern College, Sangre Grande Secondary, San Juan North Secondary, St Augustine Secondary, St George's College, St Joseph Secondary and Trinity College East.

South-Central Zone:

Chaguanas Secondary, Fyzabad Anglican, Fyzabad Secondary, Holy Name Convent Point Fortin), Presentation College San Fernando, San Fernando Central Secondary, San Fernando East Secondary and Ste Madeleine Secondary.

Tobago Zone:

Bishop's High, Mason Hall Secondary, Scarborough Secondary and Signal Hill Secondary.