Over 15 sport and activity zones, more than 15,000 people who took part in sports, relaxation and entertainment activities, and 500 players registered in the official 3×3 basketball competition are the main highlights of an intense weekend. The courts and activity zones remain available to the community until Tuesday evening, and from Wednesday the action moves to the Metropolitan Circus for two international 3×3 basketball events, all part of the “Sectorul 2 – Sectorul Sportului” series of events, organized by the City Hall of Sector 2 Bucharest.
The third stage of the BCR Sport Arena Streetball urban sports festival had a fitting finale, with legends of Romanian sport, public figures and internationally known artists taking center stage on the main court.
Marius Niculae, Jean Vlădoiu, Gică Mihali and Florin Prunea represented Sector 2’s flagship team, Dinamo București, while basketball players Virgil Stănescu, Uce Iheadindu and Dan Dacian recreated a magical trio that shone three decades ago at the Soced București basketball club. Rareș Hopincă, the mayor of Sector 2, also took part in Sunday evening’s exhibition game, while Violeta Beclea, former Olympic silver medalist in athletics, and George Cosac, doubles quarterfinalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, were present in the stands.
“My connection to 3×3 basketball, or streetball as it used to be called, goes back to my childhood, I remember being at an event like this with my parents when I was a kid. Even though basketball isn’t my sport, I felt great on the court, and the atmosphere was extraordinary. I think events like this are very important for the community and for the development of young people,” said Marius Niculae.
A space of over 7,000 square meters in Parcul Obor and the paths around the Sector 2 City Hall was turned into a multi-sport zone, where activities such as basketball, volleyball, table tennis, kendama, martial arts, rugby, dance, jump rope, skateboarding, badminton, mini-basketball, mini-football, pickleball, foot tennis, chess and gaming were just some of the options awaiting Sector 2 residents and visitors alike. There were also painting and craft workshops, as well as face painting.
Over 1,500 prizes were awarded by partners over the course of a weekend in which sport, activity and community energy turned the space into a genuine urban festival.
Acrobatics put the crowd in checkmate
The Face Team acrobatic slam dunk troupe, holder of 15 Guinness World Records related to basketball and trampoline jumps, brought new shows that left the audience breathless, while the bike stunts performed by Gabi Orban, himself holder of four Guinness World Records, drew reactions of amazement from spectators.
Performers from the Metropolitan Circus of Bucharest, the dance groups of the Ana Dance and Contesina clubs, the Drag de Măgurele folk dance ensemble and the iSports Dancers cheerleaders kept the atmosphere going during breaks between matches on the central court.
Checkmate was one of the most frequently heard words this weekend, as representatives of the chess section of Club Sportiv Oxigen were present throughout the weekend with introductory sessions for children, exhibition matches and competitions.
Basketball: The race for the September final heats up
The third stage of the BCR Sport Arena Streetball 3×3 basketball competition delivered several memorable matches, in which players left everything on the court fighting for the best positions in the rankings for each category, which secure a spot in the grand final in September.
With the exception of a single final, the girls’ Under 18 category, all the matches that decided the champions were settled by a single possession. On Saturday, Puterea Dragostei beat Brisketele 15-13 after overtime in the Under 16 boys category, P.R.I.M.E won the Under 16 girls final by a single point, 13-12, against Crocși fără șosete, after a wild string of two-point baskets, and Leii București beat Floreasca 16-14 in the Under 18 boys category.
On the final day of the competition, Căpșuni Dubai beat M-am născut în nuc 14-13 in the Under 14 girls category, in the equivalent boys category Passat lovers beat Skibidienii 16-14, Sportu beat Ranga și Talanga 20-19 after overtime in the U21 men’s category, and in the Open category, in an international final, Champions beat Chișinău, from the Republic of Moldova, 19-17.
The final stages of the 3×3 basketball competition were broadcast live on Eurosport’s Facebook channel.
Of the nearly 500 players registered in the official 3×3 basketball competition, who made up a record number of 130 teams, over 65 percent were 18 years old or younger, which highlights the fact that the event provides an excellent platform for the development of future elite athletes. Nearly 70 percent of participants were from Bucharest and Ilfov, but a total of 52 cities from Romania were represented in the competition. Brașov, Ploiești, Pitești, Constanța and Craiova were the cities outside the capital that sent the most participants.
The next events are scheduled for Bucharest (June 26 to 28), Ploiești (July 17 to 19), Eforie Nord (August 14 to 16), and the season will wrap up in Bucharest on the weekend of September 11 to 13. The BCR Sport Arena Streetball urban sports festival in Parc Obor, part of the Sectorul 2 – Sectorul Sportului series of events, was organized by the City Hall of Sector 2 Bucharest and supported by BCR, Mastercard, Regina Maria, BCR Leasing, Nike, Club Sportiv Oxigen, the Romanian Basketball Federation, Horizon, Popeyes, vitamin aqua, Kandia, BCR Asigurări and Porsche Inter Auto. The competition’s official radio station is Kiss FM.
