GREAT BAY--The Virgin Gorda Bayside Blazers were crowned champions of the inaugural Bring Ya Best Invitational Basketball Tournament on Saturday, completing a strong week of competition at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium.
The tournament, organized by the Reason for Hope Foundation, ran from July 12 to 18 and brought together teams from St. Maarten, the wider Caribbean and North America for seven days of basketball, entertainment and regional fellowship. Team Haiti also secured a place among the leading finishers, ending the tournament as second runner-up.
The Bayside Blazers entered the competition representing Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands and immediately established themselves as one of the tournament’s leading teams. They opened their campaign with a convincing 100-75 victory over St. Martin United on July 12.
The team competed under Head Coach Randy M. George and Assistant Coach Trevor M. Stevens, known as “West.” Its tournament roster included Kerry T. Richardson, captain Kimani T. Stevens, Alante M. Fenner, Justin J. Johnson, Keith C. Clanton, Ahkeel J. Boyd, Deon J. Edwin, Samuel O. Payne, Austin A. Oltime and Corey J. Sanders.
The championship completed a successful response by Virgin Gorda after the team entered the tournament determined to improve on its previous performance at the Kings of the Court Tournament in Tortola.
The Bayside Blazers strengthened their lineup for the St. Maarten competition with several roster changes, including the addition of Deon J. Edwin and the return of Ahkeel J. Boyd. Boyd previously helped lead the team to the 2024 Battle of the Fittest Basketball Tournament championship.
The Bring Ya Best tournament was launched by the Reason for Hope Foundation as its first major international sporting event. The St. Maarten-based nonprofit organization, established in 2024, focuses on youth development, community empowerment and creating opportunities through sports, education and positive community engagement.
Foundation President Shabazz Buchanan previously explained that the tournament was developed to provide high-level competition while increasing exposure for basketball players hoping to pursue educational and professional opportunities.
“The primary objective is to provide exposure for talented players,” Buchanan said before the tournament. “We are bringing scouts and coaches from the United States to evaluate athletes, with the hope of creating pathways to college and professional basketball opportunities in the U.S. and Europe.”
Participating delegations announced ahead of the event included teams representing Aruba, Canada, the United States, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Virgin Gorda, Tortola, Haiti and Dominica.
The tournament also included entertainment, giveaways, social activities, a Slam Dunk Contest and a Three-Point Shootout as organizers worked to create an event extending beyond the scheduled games.
The championship carried an advertised US$20,000 prize, while the second-place and third-place awards were listed at US$5,000 and US$2,500, respectively. Individual prizes were also announced for the Tournament Most Valuable Player, Slam Dunk Champion and Three-Point Shootout Champion.
Organizers have said their long-term objective is to establish Bring Ya Best as a leading annual basketball event for St. Maarten and the Caribbean, while using the competition to promote youth development, regional participation and sports tourism.
The conclusion of the inaugural tournament represents an important milestone for the Reason for Hope Foundation, which successfully welcomed several regional and international delegations during its first major sporting production.
Virgin Gorda leaves St. Maarten as the first Bring Ya Best champion, while Team Haiti’s third-place finish secured the country a place on the tournament’s inaugural podium.
The Reason for Hope Foundation congratulated the winning teams and recognized the participating athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who contributed to the staging of the week-long event.
