Sunshine Games

Another major sporting event is coming to North Bay in late August.

Details have been unveiled on the Sunshine Games, combining the Senior Beach Volleyball Nationals and a Canada Basketball 3×3 tournament, which has a public component.

Basketball Canada, Volleyball Canada, Nipissing University, VSE Canada and the City of North Bay are all involved.

Basketball Canada Senior Director of Operations Bryan Crawford says the idea is to see this become a traveling tour.  “Our intent after this year is to host it again here next year, but to also expand and try and take it to other parts of the country.”

He says they’d potentially like to add other sports as well, in the future, like beach soccer or ultimate frisbee.

Nipissing University is involved with the 3×3 basketball tournament.

Coach of the Lakers women’s basketball team Marg Jones says their players won’t be on the court, they’ll be helping behind the scenes. “There’s men’s open and women’s open division and two age groups, U19 and U16. This is for our athletes to be engaged in the community and to be helping with the delivery of a great 3×3 event.”

VSE Canada‘s Amadeo Bernardi says this new event came about through discussions between Basketball Canada and Volleyball Canada, “launching an effort together to move it across Canada, to really draw youth into the sports.”

He says they were approached, along with Nipissing, and they all came together to create the Sunshine Games.

Bernardi says this year the basketball tournament will be played in the Oak Street parking lot next the Discovery North Bay Museum.

In future years, it’s hoped to be included right at the CANOR Molson Sand Centre.

Overall, he says North Bay continues to grow as one of the country’s premiere summer sports cities.
Here are the full event details:

Canada Basketball 3×3 Tournament
Dates: Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28
Time: 10am to 5pm
Location: Waterfront, 100 Ferguson St, North Bay

Event Scope
– 4 courts of play (FIBA 3-point line for all divisions)
– 50 teams Maximum (between all divisions of play)
– 6 divisions of play
– Minimum 4 games per team guaranteed
– Games will be 12 minutes running time.
– Maximum 4 players per team

Divisions of Play
– Men’s Open Division
– Women’s Open Division
– U19 Boys (as of tournament date)
– U19 Girls (as of tournament date)
– U16 Boys (as of tournament date)
– U16 Girls (as of tournament date)

Entry Fee
– $200 per team (Men’s and Women’s Open Division)
– $160 per team (U19 and U16 Age Group Division)

Online registration at: http://www.fiba.com/3x3planet

 

Volleyball Canada Senior Beach Nationals
Dates: Aug. 25 – 28
Time: 10am to 5pm
Location: CANOR Molson Sand Centre (Downtown North Bay, Ontario)

Event Scope
– Elite Division and Competitive Division
– Lululemon will be on site selling product and providing various activations for the participants and spectators.
– Over $10,000 in cash prizes
– Sand from the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games
– More information online at www.volleyball.ca
– Questions to be sent to nationals@volleyball.ca
– Registration opens June 21

 

Sunshine Games officials