PENHOLD – Hundreds of basketball enthusiasts gathered in Penhold for a one-day tournament.
The Red Deer Ballers Three-on-Three Challenge welcomed basketball players from around the region, including Innisfail, Red Deer, Lacombe, Blackfalds, Sundre and Penhold.
The one-day basketball tournament, hosted by the Red Deer Ballers Basketball League and featuring players from the ages of 16 to 50 and over, took place at the Penhold Regional Multiplex on Feb. 9.
“It’s a community event, to get everybody together,” said Jerby Caballero, organizer. “It’s for everybody (players of all ages) to come out and enjoy basketball.”
About 135 basketball players and 25 teams from across Central Alberta participated in the tournament he added, noting this is the first year for the event.
“We have a basketball club in Red Deer and we get together every week so we thought to (put on the tournament),” said Caballero. “We are looking at maybe getting into inter-club leagues from Calgary and Edmonton and all over Alberta.”
He noted the Red Deer Ballers were also part of a new basketball league in Penhold that was held last fall at the multiplex.
“(The tournament) is basically for fun. We have free jerseys for teams, food and water for everybody,” said Caballero, noting the positive feedback from participants.
“They embrace this kind of event. We love the sport so every time we have this kind of event everybody enjoys it,” explained Caballero. “It won’t be the last (tournament). There will be another one next year.”
One of the tournament’s participants was 19-year-old Eugene Wolfe from Sundre.
“We don’t have a league in Sundre but when these tournaments come up we come out and join them,” said Wolfe, noting the good opportunity to play basketball with others from around the region.
“I’ve met so many different players now and made some friends. It’s great."
Kaye Kronebusch, a basketball coach from Innisfail High School, also took part in the one-day tournament.
“We’re playing in the open division,” said Kronebusch. “I came out to have some fun, work hard and play some basketball because I love the game.”
