Susumu Sakaguchi, head coach of the Settsu Red Impulse 17-and-under Boys Basketball Team, and director of the SRI Basketball Club from Osaka, Japan graciously donated several goods for all of the tournament participants, coaches and volunteers as a continued sign of the established friendship between the CNMI and Japan, and most importantly, the sports-tourism relationship BANMI continues to provide through international basketball.
All of the tournament players and coaches, as well as the volunteers received souvenir towels specially made in Japan, but it was all of the basketball equipment items that Sakaguchi presented which surprised everyone.
As a gift (“omiage” in Japanese) of appreciation, each team was given a men’s and women’s Molten official GL7 and GL6 basketball- the official basketball approved by the Japan Basketball Association and FIBA, the international governing body of basketball. “It’s a great gift! We can use it for the teams. We will most likely use it for practices and stuff,” said Jose Tumaquip, head coach of the newly crowned SSFBT Champions MISO All-Stars U15 Girl’s Team.
To assist with BANMI’s continued basketball development efforts, Sakaguchi presented to BANMI Board members Abner Venus and tournament coordinator Mr. Gabriel White a number of essential basketball items and high-tech equipment manufactured by Molten, Inc. of Japan- an official basketball equipment supplier to FIBA- which included five sets of game vests, ball bags, and a state-of-the-art portable scoreboard/timer and 24 second shot clocks.
“With this equipment, BANMI can help the basketball community to run leagues and tournaments outdoors in the villages. This is what we have been working towards for a long time and we will make this available to basketball groups in the CNMI,” said Abner Venus, who accepted the items from Mr. Sakaguchi on behalf of BANMI.
Tournament Coordinator Gabriel White said “BANMI cannot thank Mr. Sakaguchi and the Settsu Red Impulse Basketball Club enough for so much of this awesome equipment. BANMI put on another great international tournament with the help and support of so many, but this time for age groups, as an incentive for our young development players and especially for our wonderful visitors from Japan. We are very fortunate to be given these gifts and BANMI will make good use of them.”
Special Thanks to IT&E – Life in Motion for their generous contribution as the primary host of the 2010 SSFBT Post-Tournament Dinner, and to Mr. Yoshihiro Kishimoto and the entire management and staff of the Gentle Brook Café’ for all of their hard work.
(PR)
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