| Basketball Week in Edmonton was proclaimed by Councillor Tim Cartmell during a ceremony at City Hall on Wednesday.
A celebration of the game’s growing presence and historical significance in Edmonton, Basketball Week runs through July 7, and will be highlighted the 2018 Edmonton Grads International Classic (EGIC) and 3x3 Canada Quest Finals at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
"The City of Edmonton's official declaration of Basketball Week is a much appreciated acknowledgement of the history of the game intersecting with the impact it has on our community today,” says Paul Sir, Alberta Basketball Association executive director.
“The range is demonstrated this week as we all collaborate to make our city healthier by embedding basketball into our community.”
Canada Basketball’s Senior Women’s National Team (SWNT), which is ranked fifth in the world, will host No. 7 Turkey in the EGIC, with games scheduled for Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 3 p.m. New this year, the EGIC MVP will receive the Bryan Anderson Award, named in recognition of the former city councillor who has long championed sport in Edmonton.
This will be the third edition of the EGIC, which honours the Edmonton Grads, a pioneering women’s basketball team that swept four consecutive Olympic games from 1924 to 1936 and complied a 96.2 winning-percentage over 35 years.
The EGIC highlights the relationship between the City of Edmonton and Canada Basketball’s SWNT, while connecting current players with Canada's rich history in women's basketball and international competition.
The SWNT has made its training base in Edmonton since 2013, during which time it has won two FIBA Americas championship and competed in both the Olympic Games and World Championships. The team features Edmonton natives Katherine and Michelle Plouffe.
The 3x3 Canada Quest Finals will see regional champions from across the country in action throughout Friday and Saturday, culminating with the championship final at halftime of Game 3 of the EGIC. Local athletes figure prominently in Canada Quest including Steve Sir and Jermaine Bucknor, who will be in the lineup for FIBA 3x3 World Tour powerhouse, Saskatoon.
Alberta Basketball is recognized as the national leader in FIBA 3x3. Its annual 3x3 tournament at the Saville Community Sports Centre is the largest and longest-running of its kind in the country. The inaugural Canada Quest Finals also took place in Edmonton, last year, and in September, Canada’s first FIBA 3x3 Challenger international event will be held at West Edmonton Mall.
Basketball Week in Edmonton is a collaborative initiative of the Alberta Basketball Association, Canada Basketball, the City of Edmonton, and Edmonton Events - a partnership between Edmonton Tourism and the City of Edmonton.
SCHEDULE
all games at Saville Community Sports Centre
WEDNESDAY
7:00 p.m. - Edmonton Grads International Classic Game 1
FRIDAY
2:00 p.m. - 5:40 pm - Canada Quest Round Robin
7:00 p.m. - Edmonton Grads International Classic Game 2
SATURDAY
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Canada Quest Quarter Finals
12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m. - Canada Quest Semi-Finals
3:00 p.m. - Edmonton Grads International Classic Game 3 (Canada Quest Final at halftime)
|
