LIHU‘E — About 40 basketball players and at least nine coaches left Kaua‘i, Friday night bound for the Honolulu Sharks Reebok Invitational Basketball Tournament on O‘ahu. Ipo Yoshioka, one of the coaches, said the players represent four different teams including
LIHU‘E — About 40 basketball players and at least nine coaches left Kaua‘i, Friday night bound for the Honolulu Sharks Reebok Invitational Basketball Tournament on O‘ahu.
Ipo Yoshioka, one of the coaches, said the players represent four different teams including Grades 4 and 5, Grades 6 and 7, Grades 8 and 9, and Grades 10 and 11.
“These are players selected from teams across the island,” said Clarence Sales, another member of the coaching staff. “On O‘ahu, this is how they put up teams in a tournament like the Reebok.”
Sales said the tournament, which will be played at the Manoa District Park from today through Monday, is one of the bigger tournaments and represents talent from all around the state.
This traveling team represents one of the larger contingents to play in an off-island tournament, said Sales.
“Part of the reason for doing this is because Grant Kidana of the Honolulu Sharks is an agent for the Amateur Athletic Union which sanctions the tournament, and he is thinking of expanding the tournament into a circuit where they will rotate through the islands,” Sales said.
To help coach the young basketball players, who each received their “Team Kaua‘i” shirts, Yoshioka said the coaching staff includes himself, Sales, Clyde Vito, Matt Taba, Dino Pabre, Stephen Pascua, Guy Higa, Rich Colipano and Richie Gano.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
