In a weekend when the local elections took place in Romania, a few thousands youngsters voted for 3×3 basketball as their main candidate.
More than 800 players, registered in only 24 hours on the previous week, followed by almost 3000 fans, came to express their vote and their feelings about the sport they love at Sport Arena Streetball, the only 3×3 championship in Romania and one of the few in the world.
The second stage of the 2012 regular season was hot for a few more reasons than the weather, with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius.
First it was the furious battle at the “Plus 18 male” category. The road to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Madrid continued with fabulous games, none more exciting than the final, where the team “Hearts of Men” won by a single point, 21-20 with “Smooth irony”, after a clutch fade-away jumper made by Alin Spahiu.
These two teams are now in pole position on the road to Madrid, each with one tournament won, but there are still two regular tournaments to play and, of course, The Master, with the best 64 teams, where we will find out the winner of the 2012 Sport Arena Streetball season.
Second, we had a high above the rim duel between the best Romanian dunkers. Adrian “Superman” Bente and Vlad Muscurel took their best dunks in the final. “Superman” finished strong, with two perfect dunks, and took home the title.
Even one of the most exigent members of the jury, Ryan Burke, the Sport Court representative, was forced to raise his 10 marks for the winner’s dunks.
And last, but not least, two fun basketball games took place on Saturday. First the Dolce Sport main court hosted the Romanian rugby national team and three of its players showed their skills under the basket.
Than, a once upon a time basketball game between The Beauties and The Beasts flavored our tournament. The Beauties, two well-known Romanian singers and one model and The Beasts, three K1 fighters, played their story roles using the basketball ball.
All the action ended with the awards ceremony, officiated by Alin Petrache, the president of the Romanian Rugby Federation, our special guests for this second tournament, and Mihnea Costoiu, rector of the University Politehnica Bucharest, our longtime partner.
“What I have seen here at Sport Arena Streetball is unbelievable. Basketball and rugby are two sports less popular compared with football, but after what I have seen here, a lot of youngsters willing to play and to watch 3×3 basketball, I think this sport has a great future”, said Alin Petrache.
“I am glad that University Politehnica Bucharest is, for seven years already, the main partner of the most important 3×3 basketball competition in Romania and I hope we will host, in the next few years, some 3×3 basketball world or european championships”, said Mihnea Costoiu.
The third tournament of the Sport Arena Streetball championship will take place between 29th of June and 1st of July.
