The Sport Arena Streetball 3×3 basketball tour resumed after a 20-month break. Around 500 players registered for this tournament that was played on the courts where this discipline started its road to the Olympic Games, at the Politehnica University of Bucharest, where the fighter from Glory, Benny Adegbuyi, came to support the youngest participants.
Benny surprised the kids at the under-12 category and played with them on the court, proving that basketball played in the high school yard is never forgotten. He scored a few baskets, and the children called for a teammate to match Benny’s size. At only 15 years old, Vladimir Spârlac, 2.02 meters, is one of the most promising young players in Romania and one of the most spectacular young athletes.
His slam-dunks quickly went viral on the social media pages around the basketball world, and Spârlac led his team, Oţelu Galați, to become champions of the under-16 category, being the second-best scorer of the tournament.
Carla Popescu in the women’s category and Radu Paliciuc in the men’s category were named the best players in the Open categories, being awarded with a 3×3 edition Tissot watch. The two led their teams to victory in their respective categories. Carla Popescu, member of the Romanian 3×3 national team at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, was the main scorer of her team, Alba Neagra, which in the final defeated Agro Squad 18-11.
Paliciuc, a former member of the Romanian national team at Eurobasket 2017, was the decisive man for CSU Pitești in an incandescent final with Athletic Constanța, score 21-18, in which he contributed with 12.
The Poli Arena sports facility at the Politehnica University of Bucharest was declared a Covid free zone over the weekend. With the help of Complet Medical, over 1000 people were quickly checked or tested, according to the sanitary laws in force.
The almost 500 players also dribbled the rain, which came in several rounds over the courts. The first 3×3 basketball matches at the Sport Arena Streetball in almost two years generated a lot of emotions, plus the reunion with teammates and rivals certainly added to those nerves. Nevertheless, the players overcame every obstacle.
Sport Arena Streetball Tour 2021 is supported by Raiffeisen Bank, Mastercard, Taco Bell, Tissot, Nike, Azuga, Serioux, Horizon, Complet Medical and Alexandrion Foundation. The official radio of the competition is Kiss FM.
The 3 × 3 basketball events will continue with three other tournaments, all in Bucharest on the grounds of the Politehnica University: Tournament 2 – 17/18 July (registrations between 12/14 July), Tournament 3 – 14/15 August (registrations between 9 / August 11) and the Final – September 18/19.
See you there!
