New stage of the Keep Playin’ Tour
The Navarra Basketball Federation and the Fundación Seguimos Jugando join forces in a Masterball that is here to stay
Finally, the firm will of the Navarra Basketball Federation to join the world of maxibasketball has ended up materializing in what is going to be the first Keep Playin’ Tour event in the post-Covid19 era.
Indeed, already in June 2019 the President of the Navarra Basketball Federation, Pablo Bretos, and the Manager of the same Natxo Ilundain, had the first contacts with the President of the Fundación Seguimos Jugando and FIMBA representative in Spain, Manel Casas, in order to create an international basketball event for veterans. The harmony was total and only the pandemic made it impossible for the Pamplona Masterball Navarra to see the light before.
The current situation, as well as the support of the Pamplona City Council and the Government of Navarra, have made the organization of this first edition possible.
From September 17 to 19, Pamplona will host the great maxi-basketball party. Pre-registration is open from today, and the conditions of participation can be consulted on the tournament website, but we can advance that the categories that will be accepted will be, in females, F35+, F40+ and F45+, and in boys, M40+, M45+ and M50+. From the organization it is not ruled out, however, that, if there were enough teams for it, to incorporate another category.
Pablo Bretos stated “We are going to put all our efforts into placing Pamplona and Navarra on the map of benchmark maxibasketball events in Europe” and added “This alliance with the Fundación Seguimos Jugando and with FIMBA opens the doors to basketball veterans from the rest of Spain, and also from all over the world. The example of the Santander Masters Basketball Tournament tells us that we are on the right track.”
For his part, Manel Casas has emphasized the desire to join forces with all Spanish entities interested in the development of maxibasketball. “Since our birth, we have expressed to all the people and entities in the Basketball environment, including the FEB and its territories, our will to put Spanish maxi-basketball at the level to which the Basketball Teams have taken the FEB and Spain in the international context” he has said. And he adds “The award of the organization of the next European Championship in Malaga is, in addition to a sign of FIMBA’s confidence in our country, a golden opportunity to start this wonderful path to success.”
For this edition, both presidents hope to bring together around 30 teams, some beyond our borders. And that it is the first of many editions of an event that is intended to be a benchmark in Spain and Europe.