ALL roads will lead to the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue this evening when the inaugural Rio Indoor Streetball Championship concludes with the semi-final and eventual grand finale.

In the opening semi-final match, Bent Street will tackle newcomers Rio All-Stars from 20:00hrs. The seasoned Bent Street unit enter the match as the favourites.

The aforementioned status is due to the proliferation of national players on their roster, inclusive of Daniel Wilson, Clive Nobrega, Akel Clarke, Pernell Schultz and William Europe.
On the other hand, the debutants possess a high-profile contingent which comprises Jermin Junior, Andrew Murray, Joshua Browne, Job Caesar and Kelsey Benjamin, underpinning their status as the nation’s emerging powerhouse in the streetball format.

In the second semi-final affair, Sparta Boss will lock horns with Gold is Money at 21:00hrs. The match will be another chapter in the storied rivalry of the two teams. Sparta Boss will enter as favourites, as they secured a 4-3 win over Gold is Money in the previous encounter.

The likes of Sheldon Shepherd, Gregory Richardson, Eusi Phillips and Ryan Hackett will be required to secure another identical outcome come kick-off time.
However, revenge will be on the mind of Gold is Money unit who will be led by the likes of Randolph Wagner, Phillip Rowley, Jamal Pedro and Keifer Brandt, as they aim for a place in the championship finale.

The respective winners will battle in the grand finale, with the losers matching skills in the third-place playoff.
According to an official release from the tournament coordinators Three Peat Promotions, “We are finally at the eve of the event’s conclusion.

The battle lines have been drawn among the hard-core fans with regard to their support on the final night of the tournament. Every side have the requisite talents and abilities to progress to the championship so we are expecting a momentous evening of high-quality action which is expected to entertain the large spectatorship that will descend on the venue.”

The correspondence further said, “The anticipation and excitement for the grand finale is almost indescribable. Both semi-final matches are essentially finals which highlight the overall quality of the tournament.

“We are expecting a tremendous night of action which will captivate and thrill the large spectatorship as we aim to crown the inaugural Rio Indoor Streetball Champion.”
The winning team will pocket $1M and the championship trophy, while the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers will collect $400 000, $200 000 and $100 000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.