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Holiday Hoops to expand next year
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Posted on Jan 06 2005
With the success of the 2004 Christmas Basketball Tournament, the Division of Sports and Recreation is already cooking up new stuff for the 2005 edition of the Holiday Hoops.
The inaugural tournament’s coordinator Jonathan Tenorio said that plans are afoot to add a 9-and-under division to complement the 14-and-under basketball competition.
He said the addition of the younger age group would add more spice to the Yuletide hoop-fest as well as give players in the third and fourth grades a chance to burn off the fat they added during the holiday season.
The 2004 Christmas Basketball Tournament was won by the 69ers last Dec. 29 after they routed cross-village rivals Saipan Sixers in the finals. Third place went to Garapan Rollers, which defeated Tinian All-Stars in the battle for third earlier in the morning.
All three teams got their respective trophies during the awards banquet held immediately after the finals at the Minatchom Atdao Pavilion.
The ceremony also saw Tenorio and the rest of the organizing committee honor Tanapag Young Warriors with the Sportsmanship Award for observing fair play and goodwill during the three-day roundball competition. In the individual awards, 69ers center Bill Babauta took home the MVP plum.
Also in attendance during the game and the succeeding awards ceremony were Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela and Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Juan L. Babauta.
In his speech Tudela congratulated the 69ers and the Sixers for a well-played championship. But while he toasted the champions and the runners-up, Tudela also congratulated all the participants of the tournament.
“Regardless of the results, everyone that participated in the tournament are all winners,” he said.
Babauta echoed Tudela’s statement when he said, “Every one of you are all winners, in one way or the other.”
He also thanked the Division of Sports and Recreation, which is under his agency, for ably running the event. Babauta also gave kudos to Tudela for again agreeing to partner with DCCA and DSR to organize the tournament.
The DCCA secretary also promised everyone in attendance that more improvements are in store for the Oleai Sports Complex.
