Antigua and Barbuda eliminated from Global Skills Challenge

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The Female Under-17 team, (from left) Jannique Blackstock, Kai Joseph, Palmira Pestaina, Mary Jane Grant, Shavon Joseph and Melissa Haywood were eliminated last week from the virtual FIBA skills challenge. (Photo by Gemma Hazelwood)
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By Carlena Knight

Antigua and Barbuda bowed out of the ongoing FIBA Under-17 Women’s Skills Challenge.

Playing last week, the six-member team, which comprises of Kai Joseph, Mary Jane Grant, Shavon Joseph, Jannique Blackstock, Melissa Haywood, and Palmira Pestaina was eliminated after losing all its matches in the Group B of the Global Qualifiers.

The female basketballers went under to Spain 163-222, Australia 196-145 on Tuesday, then a day later suffered the same fate losing to Egypt 156-213 and missing out on the chance to advance to the semi-finals and play in the finals on Sunday.

Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala first advanced from the 2020 Americas Qualifiers earlier this month due to the other participating countries, Cuba and Panama, having to withdraw due to Covid-19 restrictions in their respective countries.

The boys’ team-Jaden Andrew, Kevin Pimental, Seth Joseph, Javonte Daley, Shalom Bloodman, Jaheem James, Nicholas Bradshaw, Tequan Brodie, Kristian and Kory Winter was edged out by Panama and frontrunners Puerto Rico in order to advance to the Global Qualifiers.

The virtual skills challenge saw the junior ballers with a team of five begin their course by first passing a ball through a target. They were given three attempts for this obstacle which would result in gaining one point, after which they would make a layup and then dribbling through cones followed by a free throw shot which counted as two points if made. If they missed the free throw they would have to make a layup, race down to the opposite basket and attempt a three pointer which, if made, was an additional two points.  If they missed, they would have to make a layup and then pass to their teammates until all the players have completed the course.

The timed event would decrease depending on how many points the team made altogether and the winner would be determined by those times.

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