Three on three basketball, it's played on every court and in every backyard across Belize. What is referred to as "pickup basketball" may not have the prestige or glamour of the full court game, but really, it's the everyman and woman's game.
And now FIBA is embracing it as more than just a recreational past-time; it's slated for inclusion in the Olympics - and a world Championship is also planned for this year in Seville, Spain.
Quite incredibly, Belize's Under-18 programme which has been getting regional attention for its raw talent - has gotten a berth in that World Championship.
And now, the Belize Basketball Federation has to have a national three on three tournament to find the best under 18 talent.
But it isn't just about the tournament, it's also about the love of the game, and so that tournament will include under and over 18 - and will go across the country looking for the best talent.
It's being done with key assistance from key corporate sponsors, Bowen and Bowen and Sprite. They held a press conference with the Belize Basketball Federation today.
Federation President Paul Thompson explained how it will work:
Paul Thompson - President, BBF
"The Sprite Belikin National 3X3 basketball tour will be held in each town across the country on streets, parking lots, or basketball courts during the months of July and August of 2012. The district basketball associations will coordinate tournaments in each district. The winners from each district will play in the finals which will be held in Belize City. A slam dunk contest will also be held in each district as a part of the tour. The winning team in the men's category will automatically qualify to participate in FIBA 3X3 World Tour that will be held in New York on August 18 and 19 of this year. In the U-18 category, Belize was selected by FIBA to participate in the FIBA 3X3 World Championships to be held in Seville Spain from September 27 to the 30th, also this year. For this category, a national 3X3 team will be selected. We're very excited about that. It's the championships; that's the ultimate prize. We go there and we select a national team. Why we got selected, we believe, is that based on our proposal, based on our geographic area, based on our participation in recent youth categories, we've been selected to do this. They've seen progress in Belize in participating in these tournaments, and I believe that's one of the reasons why we were selected."
Now to get he show on the road - so to speak - the BBF has turned to SPRITE and Belikin. Sprite will sponsor the Under-18 component, and Belize the over 18 tournament.
That means they are buying the collapsible rims that will be taken countrywide to host the tournaments. Those sponsors explained their roles.
David Craig - Marketing and Sales, Sprite
"We've all played 3X3 basketball but never in such an organized manner, and never for such a prize like actually going to New York to participate in a FIBA tournament, so we're really happy to be a part of this. We're actually paying for 4 mobile systems. These can be transported anywhere, and the beauty about these courts - about this tournament - is that you can play it on any hard-top surface. You can take it on to the street. You can play it on Albert Street, or in a parking lot. So it's completely mobile. The sponsorship, the value of the sponsorship is about $35,000."
David Vasquez
"Basketball is one of the big sports, and we're all about promoting. For Sprite, it's about promoting sports for the youth ourselves, and also giving the senior males an opportunity to have more access to play sports."
Each event will also include a slam dunk contest. The startup date for the tournament has not been set yet.
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