ThePapare Basketball Championship 2017 setting the stage for next generation of stars

Sri Lanka’s number one sports hub, ThePapare.com, will power the U-19 All-Island ‘A’ Division (Boys/Girls) schools basketball tournament for the second consecutive year. 

‘ThePapare Basketball Championship 2017’, Sri Lanka’s premier schools basketball tournament, will shoot off at the nets of Gateway College, Colombo on Saturday, 2 September at 7.00 a.m. with the commencement of the girls` tournament. The boys` tournaments will commence at S. Thomas` College Mount Lavinia on Tuesday, 5 September from 7.00 a.m. onwards. Four top teams from four groups will then feature in the quarterfinals and qualify for the semifinals and the grand finale, which will be played under lights at the Henry Pedris courts on 17 September. 

ThePapare Basketball Championship was initiated in 2016 with the undertaking of enhancing the game of basketball in the island. Twenty-six schools participated in the 2016 tourney and S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia emerged as the boys’ champions, while St. Joseph’s College, Colombo emerged as the first runners-up in a thrilling final. Good Shepherd Convent won for the girls’ title and St. Joseph’s Girls’ School Nugegoda emerged as the first runners-up. 

Beginning from the quarterfinal stage of this tournament, matches will be streamed live and exclusively on ThePapare.com, Dialog Now (Channel No. 1) on Dialog Television and on mobile phones with MyTV from any mobile network. The quarterfinal stage is scheduled to commence on 10 September with all matches played under lights at the Henry Pedris Stadium. 

“ThePapare.com is delighted to partner the basketball federation to power this unique tournament, bringing together local and international schools in the country. Our objective is to empower the sport and build visibility for the game in Sri Lanka, as well as to help build camaraderie amongst schools. We wish all the teams the very best and look forward to a great tournament and experience throughout the next few weeks,” says Dialog Axiata Plc Head of Business, Global Content and Services Mangala Hettiarachchi. 

The President of the Schools Basketball Association Sanath Jayalath, speaking at the occasion, said: “We are happy that ThePapare.com is partnering us for the second consecutive year. The players were motivated to play the tournament with the value addition of live streaming of the tournament as well. This year’s tournament will be more intense with outstation schools participating and we invite everyone to be a part of it.”