Masters Basketball tournament to take over Kilkenny

Kilkenny will go basketball crazy when the fifth annual Masters tournament takes over the city this weekend.

The competition, which will feature men’s and women’s teams in over-40s and 50s action, will be held in three venues around the city. Thirty-two teams will travel from Cork, Kerry, Clare, Mayo, Dublin, Offaly, Carlow, Cavan, Laois, Wexford, Waterford, joining hosts Kilkenny and three English teams from Yorkshire, Bristol and Birmingham.

The games will see over 350 players and officials taking part during the three days of sporting action, with the equally important social night out in Paris Texas on the Saturday evening. It goes to show the importance of well-being and health and fitness for adults who wish to continue playing sport into their forties and fifties.

The action gets under way in O’Loughlin Gaels this Friday from 7.30pm with the Kilkenny women’s 40s team of Marble City Mayfairs taking on Vixens of Dublin to compete for the Seamus Walsh Cup. Straight after this game the Kilkenny men’s 40s team will go up against Ballina of Mayo. With new recruit Puff Summers added to the local line-up, he is sure to impress on the Masters stage. Summers, the current assistant coach of the Ireland Men’s basketball team, has also been playing Superleague with Dublin outfit Templeogue. The Lar Murphy Memorial Cup is at stake for the eventual winners in this category.

Mayor of Kilkenny David Fitzgerald will also be in attendance in O’Loughlin’s to officially open the tournament. The Kilkenny Stars under-11 boys and girls will be on hand to warm the crowd up.

Saturday will be a busy day of action, with games being played at O’Loughlin Gaels, the Loreto and St Kieran’s College halls from 9am to 5pm. The finals, which will be held in the same venues on Sunday, will be streamed live on www.basketballireland.tv

In addition, there will be a Wheelchair Exhibition game between the players of the South East Swifts basketball team in St Kieran’s hall, scheduled for 12 noon on Sunday. Have a look at how Pat O’Neill and his team manage to weave their way round a court on wheels.

The Marble City Hawks ladies National League team will be providing a catering service at each venue to help fundraise for their club. All support will be greatly appreciated.

Entry is free and all are encouraged to come along and see the action. For more see www.kilkennymasters.ie

The Kilkenny Masters committee thank all who have helped bring this tournament to fruition, especially sponsors Paris Texas, Pembroke Hotel, CluneTech, Langtons Hotel, Sport Ireland, Basketball Ireland, Newpark Hotel, Eugene Foley Construction, St Canice’s Credit Union, Pat Carrolls Bar, Hennessy Sports, Mountain View, TJ Reid Health & Fitness, Infocus Opticians, Hibernian Hotel, DJsolutions.ie, moonbehindthehill.ie and drawinginc.ie