A crowd of more than 400 spectators and delegates witnessed the opening ceremony of the 7th Curasur Masters Tournament at the L. B. Scot Sports Auditorium on Monday evening. The official opening was preceded by a “Parade of Flags”, representing participating countries, which was led by the local Boys and Girls Brigade.
The Official welcome address was delivered by the Minister for Education, Youth, Culture and Sports, Honorable Patricia Lourens-Philips who applauded the local host team for organizing what can be considered the first largest adult tournament in recent times. Also addressing the gathering was the representative of the Curasur Masters Foundation Mr. Pablo Burgos who stated that the tournament continues to foster good sportsmanship and friendship among the teams. He added that this is the first time that the tournament has been extended outside the boundaries of the countries of Suriname or Curacao. President of the Rebels Vets Basketball Association Claret Connor stated that “as host team we are extremely happy for the opportunity to host the tournament and was confident that organization of the tournament would meet the expectations of all concerned”. He encouraged the teams to promote good sportsmanship during the games and to also enjoy the hospitality that the island has to offer”.
The Boys & Girls Brigade and the Special Olympics of St. Maarten were the recipients of a monetary donation, which were pooled together by all participating teams.
The winning countries on the opening night were Holland, Suriname and St. Maarten. The matchup between the Rebels of St. Maarten and Statia Diamonds was heavily contested with Statia holding a slim lead at halftime with 28-27, but in the end St. Maarten emerged as the victor with the final score of 69 and St. Eustatius with 53.
The tournament will climax with the championship game on Friday, November 7, 2014, during which time a team will be crowned “2014 Champions”. Awards will be presented to individual players for the category of MVP and Most Disciplined player. Also on that evening will be the legendary “Legend’s Class” featuring former basketball players who are 55 years and older. Representing St. Maarten in this class will be sports enthusiasts Reggie Coram, Alfredo “Bambbo” Pantophlet, Rawley Busby, David “Dukie” Richardson, Rudolph “Dolphie” Samuel, Clemente Jones, Steve Kong, and retired Notary at Law Elco Rosario.
- Thursday, April 25, 2024
