Last Sunday, Tropical Limousine Services kicked off its first three-day summer basketball tournament for Brooklyn and Queens residents at the Jacob Joffe playground between Kings Plaza and Canarsie.
Sixteen teams of various age groups from both boroughs are slated to compete in this tournament which began on Sunday 21 and continues on Aug. 27 and 28.
Last Sunday, two games were played by men’s open leagues from Queens and Brooklyn. A third game was postponed to next Saturday due to adverse weather conditions. The first game featured the Blue vs. the Purple team, comprising teenagers from Brooklyn.
Next weekend’s games will be played by younger teams such as St. Michael’s Youth Sector of the IUOM, Andre’s Athletic League, Coney Island Ballers, Almighty God Athletics, Team Wright and The Rapture. All games next weekend will be held at the David Fox playground.
Tournament Coordinator Marlon Whatley who is also executive director of Tropical Limousine Services said that he got the idea for the tournament after reading about a recent shooting incident near the playground in the usually quiet Millbasin neighborhood. With the assistance of Andre Carr, director of Andre’s Athletic League and Miss Tawana St. Paul of GAA Athletic Program, he was able to put together what promises to be a very successful program.
Senator John Sampson of the 19th District, who is also patron of the tournament, said that the community welcomes every effort by local businesses to harness the youths and keep them gainfully occupied.
Already plans are afoot for a 2012 program, which will include basketball, soccer, football and cricket tournaments.
