Secondary students from across the Ark network took to the basketball courts of Evelyn Grace Academy to battle it out to be crowned winners of the annual Ark Basketball Tournament.
Teams from Ark Burlington Danes, Ark Elvin, Ark Putney, Bolingbroke and hosts Evelyn Grace all competed for the Under 14s and Under 17s titles.
Papa Demba Kasse, former member of the Senegal National Senior Basketball team and current team member at Hemel Storm, acted as referee for the day overseeing some great matches.
The Under 17s final was a hotly contested match between Evelyn Grace and Ark Putney. Both teams played extremely well and the match could have gone either way, but Evelyn Grace pipped Ark Putney to the post, winning with a final score of 26:24. Not content with being just the Under 17s champions, Evelyn Grace also won the Under 14s trophy.
All teams played to a very high standard and students demonstrated great teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the day.
“It was an honour to play in this tournament representing my school,” said Syed, Ark Elvin Academy. “Being with other basketball players in the Ark network who share the passion and desire to play the sport made us feel like one community.”
“Basketball is more than a sport, it’s a way of life and it’s even better that we have the opportunity to play in school and meet new people,” added Amun-ra, Evelyn Grace Academy.