TCI: Digicel Jumpstart was a success`

#TurksandCaicos, April 11, 2018 – Providenciales – The fourth consecutive Digicel NBA Jumpstart Basketball camps got started in Turks and Caicos before continuing to five other markets in the region over the coming weeks.  The Graceway Sports Complex saw 59 boys and 2 girls receiving specialised coaching from Troy Justice and Mamadou N’Diaye (Former NBA Player).  The participants were grouped based on age, falling into either the under-16 or under-14 category.

Two campers in the under-14 category came out on top with Nickeem Clare winning the Free-throws Winner Award and Richard Saville winning the Sportsmanship Award.  For the under 16 category, Kenny Forbes won the Sportsmanship Award, and six others were selected to participate in the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Elite Camp to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 14-15.  The elite camp will feature the best from each of the Digicel NBA Jumpstart markets and the talented six who will represent the Turks and Caicos Islands are Brendan Henfield, Jamel Ward, Kimiko Talbot, Omari Williams, Omar Garland and Jahmich Hutchinson.  From the elite camp, the top 14 players will be invited to participate in an authentic NBA experience in the U.S. later this year.

The organisers of the Clinics commented on the talent they saw:

 Troy Justice, NBA Sr. Director of Basketball Operations International at the NBA: “I think the kids learned some new things.  I saw them get better and there were some kids that really applied what we taught and got a lot better from day one to day three.  For two or three of them – you could see that the light bulb really went off for them—that was encouraging to see as a coach.”

“I think these five boys and one girl that we’ve selected from the TCI are going to compete very, very well against the players from the other countries.  They’re hard-nosed, they’re tough and they’re competitive and that was good to see,” he continued.

This was a great experience for me, I learned a lot that would help me to get better and go further in my basketball career thanks to Jumpstart” said Brendan Hendfield, Jumpstart participant.

While in Turks and Caicos, the NBA and Digicel teams spent some time with Michael Williams, a basketball fan with special needs who was thrilled to watch the training and hang out with coaches Troy Justice and Mamadou N’Diaye.  He was also gifted with a signed NBA jersey, cap and basketball by Mamadou.

                      Upcoming Digicel NBA Jumpstart Basketball Camps