Team Saint Lucia lost all three matches at the inaugural Eastern Caribbean Under-23 men’s 3×3 basketball tournament in Road Town, British Virgin Islands.
Going into the competition as the second-ranked squad out of six, the quartet of Sidney Didier (Soufriere Kings), Junior Dupre (Morne Gladiators), Jazaniah Blanchard (Morne Gladiators), and Ajini Ferdinand (Courts Jets) fell to Grenada and hosts BVI in the preliminaries.
Despite building an early five-point lead over Grenada, Saint Lucia eventually succumbed 20-16. It was Grenada’s second group win, clinching Pool A. In the second group matchup, Saint Lucia’s hopes of getting into the semifinals evaporated with a 21-14 reversal against BVI. The fifth-place playoff ended in a narrow 16-14 defeat to Dominica.
According to a release from the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation, Coach Christus Michel praised the players, particularly Sidney Didier, who ranked among the tournament’s top 10 scorers. He expressed the value of these tournaments to afford Saint Lucian players the opportunity to face regional competition and gain meaningful experience to further develop themselves individually and the sport on the island.
St Kitts & Nevis beat St Vincent & The Grenadines 20-15 to lift the title, thus securing a spot at the Central American and Caribbean Games this summer. The BVI beat Grenada 17-13 to keep the bronze medals.
Coach Christus and 3×3 certified referee Shadrack Theodore attended a series of training sessions and workshops in the BVI.
The event was organised by the Association of National Olympic Committees of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (ANOCES), hosted by the BVI Olympic Committee, sponsored by Panam Sports, Olympic Solidarity, the Virgin Islands Ministry of Tourism, and the BVI Tourist Board.
Better luck next time guys!