All roads will lead to the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue this evening when the inaugural Rio Indoor Street ball Championships conclude with the semi-final and eventual grand-finale.
In the opening semi-final match, Bent Street will tackle newcomer Rio All-Stars from 20:00hrs. The seasoned Bent Street unit enters the match as the favourite due to the proliferation of national players on their roster including Daniel Wilson, Clive Nobrega, Akel Clarke, Pernell Schultz and William Europe.
On the other hand, the debutants possess a high profile contingent which comprises Jermin Junior, Andrew Murray Jr., Joshua Browne, Job Caesar and Kelsey Benjamin, underpinning their status as the nation’s emerging powerhouse in the street-ball format.
In the second semi-final affair, Sparta Boss will lock horns with Gold is Money at 21:00hrs. The match will be another chapter in the storied rivalry of the two teams with the previous meeting ending 4-3 in favour of the Spartans. Sheldon Shepherd, Gregory Richardson, Eusi Phillips and Ryan Hackett will be tasked with the responsibility of securing another positive result and a place in the final.
On the other hand, Gold is Money will be out for revenge following the disappointment of their previous engagement with the Spartans. They will look to the likes of Randolph Wagner, Phillip Rowley, Jamal Pedro and Keifer Brandt to propel them to another championship engagement. The respective winners will battle in the final with the losers matching skills in the third place playoff.
According to an official release from the tournament coordinators Three Peat Promotions, “We are finally at the eve of the event’s conclusion. The battle lines have been drawn amongst the hardcore fans with regards to their support on the final night of the tournament. Every side has the requisite talent and ability to progress to the championship so we are expecting a momentous evening of high quality action which is expected to entertain the large spectatorship that will descend on the venue.
“The anticipation and excitement for the grand finale is almost indescribable. Both semi-final matches are essentially finales which highlights the overall quality of the tournament. We are expecting a tremendous night of action which will captivate and thrill the large spectatorship as we aim to crown the inaugural Rio Indoor Street-ball Champion.”
Winner of the event will pocket $1,000,000 and the championship trophy, while the second, third and fourth place finishers will collect $400,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.
