5 days ago
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AFTER entering Sunday’s quarterfinal stage of the FIBA 3X3 basketball tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with high hopes of booking spots in the next round, Jamaica’s male and female teams suffered defeats.
The men lost 21-14 to eventual champions United States, and the women were edged 12-11 by hosts Puerto Rico.
According to Oniel Brown, head coach of the female team, despite battling with injuries to half of the team, he is pleased with how they competed.
“Two of the players - Sasha Dixon and Crystal Primm - got hurt from the first game. They fought through the injuries, and in the quarterfinals we got our chances but lost by a point. However, I am proud of the ladies and their performances,” he stated.
Brown added that based on the evidence he has seen from Jamaica’s style and growth in 3x3 basketball, he believes the gap between the national team and the top-ranked countries around the world is getting smaller.
“It’s closing. Canada went on to win the title, and they only defeated us by a point. We’re right there. Last year we lost to Brazil in the quarterfinals by two points, and they medalled this year. We’re not far away, and I’m proud of where we are now,” Brown added.
Rick Turner, head coach of the male team, stated that there is no embarrassment in losing two games that came against teams finishing in medal positions. Turner added that with the rapid improvement of all the teams participating, Jamaica would remain focused on improvement in the sport.
“We competed and played hard. We lost to the bronze medal (Canada) and gold medal team (USA). While we’re not where we want to be, we’re getting closer. I am very pleased with how they competed and played together. That’s the part I loved. Every team is getting better, including Jamaica. It is good that we are improving and making progress, but we can’t rest on our laurels and expect that while we’re getting better, no other team will. We have worked hard and continue to push for the top,” he said.
Turner explained that in the tournament’s history only a handful of teams have remained consistent, partly due to their abundance of talent.
“I started coming to this tournament in 2021. The level of play from then to now is not the same. However, the likes of USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico have been good the entire time with 3x3 because they have such a large pool of basketball players to choose from,” Turner said.
English (US) ·