The first Sport Arena Streetball tournament played atfer 3×3 basketball was announced as a new-entry Olympic discipline at Tokyo 2020 saw an incredible display by European champion Cătălin Vlaicu. He was simply unstoppable in the Open Men’s final, as he led his team to victory at Superbet Palas Streetball, which took place in Iași.
Over 200 players registered for the start of the competition, which was played on a mind-blowing venue, worthy of an Olympic discipline, offered by “Palatul Culturii” (The Palace of Culture) and by Palas Mall in Iași, with prize money worth over 25000 lei on the line.
Rahova’s Finest, Cătălin Vlaicu’s traditional crew alongside his partner – Alin Spahiu, were crowned champions after a fiery final, with a 19-18 final score against the Old School, a team that sets the core of the current Romanian 3×3 basketball national team. Vlaicu scored 10 of his team’s 19 points in the final, while Spahiu scored in two important moments from beyond the arc.
Another player for Rahova’s Finest, Victor Constantin, was the main scorer of the tournament, with 36 points in six matches. Thus, the boys won the big prize money worth 5000 Lei and were also rewarded with prizes offered by the official tour partners: fitness bracelets from Fitbit and a trip to Larnaca, Cyprus, offered by Blueair.
European 3×3 basketball champions Sonia Ursu and Andra Haas, along with the Romanian women’s basketball legend Svetlana Drăgușin, won the Open Women category and will cash the prize money offered by the Romanian Basketball Federation in the national Sport Arena Streetball Tour. The winners have earned 250 euros and have also received fitness bracelets from Fitbit.
The elite throwing-contest was won by Vizi Şandor from Cluj, who scored 10 points out of a maximum of 18 from behind the 3-points line, while the slam-dunk contest saw hosts’ favorite Şerban Bălan win. The audience took a shot of adrenaline of their own in a throw-in contest, the Superbet Challenge, where the winner won a 250-dollar cash prize.
Miruna Lehaci, a CS Politehnica Iași athlete crowned chess’ schools world champion, was a special guest to the tournament. For her results, she was rewarded by Pegas Bikes, a partner of the Sport Arena Streetball Tour 2017, with a Street bike.
For two days, Iasi was 3×3 basketball territory, the city breathed on the 3×3 rhythm and the motion and the dribbling kept going on the two courts installed at Palas Mall long after dark and after the official matches in the competition had been completed. Hundreds of children enjoyed themselves and had a great opportunity to play basketball in the best conditions on FIBA rated courts and official FIBA 3×3 panels.
The Sport Arena Streetball Tour 2017 will continue this weekend, June 17-18th, with the third stop, in Suceava. At national level, the competition is powered by Nike, Fitbit, Gatorade, Pegas, Ursus Cooler and Kiss FM.
