POSTED BY: Eurobasket Center
Three Guam basketball clubs have expressed an interest in joining the second Northern Youth Basketball Association Tournament this November.
"The Yigo Jokers, Barrigada Crusaders and the Southern Youth Basketball Association are willing to come to Saipan and participate in the NYBA caging," NYBA president Joe Diaz said.
"The Crusaders have been preparing for the NYBA tournament for the past few months. I saw them practicing hard when I went to Guam in April," Diaz added.
NYBA vice president George Cruz said the three Guam ballclubs are the same teams that encouraged NYBA to host a tournament similar to Guam Youth Basketball Association’s Thanksgiving cagefest.
"Hosting a similar tournament to that of GYBA would not be possible until next year because we will be busy preparing for the Rotary and the NYBA tournament in November," Cruz said.
But he added that the Guam teams are eager to come to Saipan and challenge the teams here so the three ballclubs might join NYBA’s November tournament.
"If they come here, it’s going to be an exciting tournament. We’re looking forward to Guam players challenging our kids," Diaz said.
The NYBA held its inaugural tournament for the northern villages last November with 16 teams participating in three divisions.
The Capitol Hill Stars, Matansa Sparks, Sugar King Shooting Stars and Garapan Rollers represented the 12-and-under division.
Division 2 featured the Bwibwiis, Garapan Rollers 2, Matansa Sparks and Garapan Rollers 1, while Division 3 participants were the Bwibwiis, Garapan Rollers 1, 2 and 3, Capitol Hill and the Matansa Sparks 1 and 2.
Cruz said that the three Guam ballclubs will be sending a team in each division.
"So, we will have nine Guam teams, plus Saipan squads. We hope to have more Saipan teams than what we had in the first season. With this many participants, we can expect tough competition," Cruz said.
Diaz added that Tinian will also be fielding teams in the NYBA caging.
(Courtesy of Variety News)
