Rawle Toney 3×3 Classic creating a buzz as time draws closer

“…major announcements in the coming week,” says Toney

The Rawle Toney 3×3 Classic is set to shoot off at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on February 19-20, 2022, and already is emerging as the most anticipated sporting event of 2022, as it is drawing attention from all over the Caribbean and North America.

In an exclusive interview with this publication, when asked his view on the tournament drawing near, founder of the event, Rawle Toney, said, “I actually feel good that the tournament is around the corner. With regards to preparation, its going quite well. A lot of work on the ground to really stand the tournament apart from what it really was in 2019, but more importantly setting it apart from other sporting events in Guyana that would have passed and those coming up after my event. I want to show the distinction between 3×3 basketball and 5v5 and what 3×3 could bring to Guyana and the sport on a whole.”

Toney further noted that despite the tournament hasn’t official commenced, the action and the buzz on social media is there among the basketball fraternity. He explained that currently he is working with the basketball federation to ensure the safety of the players, hence he stated that once the futsal tournament concludes at the Sports Hall this week, he will make the necessary announcements regarding the 3×3 tournament.
Toney also boasted that new sponsors will be coming on board as well as major announcements that will spark the interest of fans and players accordingly. He also echoed that with COVID 19 pandemic he is making provision to have the games streamed on television, but assured that it would definitely be streamed online.
As it relates to sponsors, Toney noted that quite a few major announcements could be made in the coming weeks. However, he related that the idea is to spread the awareness of the sport outside of Georgetown over the next four weeks, as the tournament draws near. Toney explained that there are also some planned events in Linden and he is even considering heading to Berbice as he reiterated that 3×3 rules are different and he has seen the challenges it presents when he invited some players at the launching of the event in December 2021.
“I’ve seen the challenges they had adapting to the new rules of 3×3 basketball. So, it is to sensitise the game of 3×3 basketball leading up to the tournament on February 19-20, so I will be heading to Linden in the coming weeks to do a media launching and working with sponsors to make it possible and the Guyana Amateur Federation and Guyana Basketball Officials Council to make that one possible as well,” he clarified.
Sixteen teams will be vying for a winner’s purse of $600,000. In 2019, Pitbulls 3.0, behind Ryan Stephney, Jermaine Slatter, Ryan Gullen and Travis Belgrave, edged Team Smooth 22-12 in the finals to walk away with Gy$300,000 and the Rawle Toney 3X3 Basketball Classic Trophy.
The tournament has received sponsorship from Eco Green Services; Junior Sammy Guyana Inc; Marlon Jacobs, aka Freedom Boss; Kabisa Energy Drink; Guyana Breweries Incorporated under its Mackeson Brand, and MVP Sports, among others.