Jamaica set sights on 3x3 gold medal at CAC Games
Published:Friday | June 23, 2023 | 12:58 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
Members of Jamaica’s 3x3 basketball squad are currently going through their paces under the watchful eyes of head coach Rick Turner before they depart for the 2023 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games which opens today in San Salvador, El Salvador.
A Jamaican team will be competing in 3x3 basketball for the first time at the CAC Games but according to Turner, the team will be very competitive.
“Preparations are going well so far, we’ve got players who are based in Canada, United States and Jamaica. We’ve also got local players to train with us to help us prepare, so it’s going well. The game (3x3 basketball) itself is pretty young, it’s a new Olympic sport, so our experience is pretty new as well,” Turner stated.
Despite being stacked with young players, Jamaica will be hoping that the experienced Romaine Thomas who plies his trade in the French Professional league for ES Avignon Basket, can lead them to victory in the 3x3 competition which will run from June 30 to July 2. Coach Turner believes that Thomas, who plays in a professional set-up, is a well-needed boost for the team.
“Romaine Thomas is a professional player whose season in France has just been completed. He was a part of our very first 3x3 national team that competed in 2021 in Miami. He’s a great leader, a fantastic basketball player and his experience will be helpful for those guys who will be playing 3x3 competitively for their first time,” Turner added.
The veteran coach also sought to explain that preparations for a 3x3 game differ a lot from that of a 5x5 game. There are less players on the court and coach Turner believes that being versatile will make a huge difference.
“It’s very physical and fast moving. Players have to be versatile and be able to do a lot of things, they’ll have to able to score and defend as there’s not necessarily a specialist. It’s a 3x3 game, so everyone has to be in great condition,” he said.
In terms of what the national team will consider a successful 2023 CAC Games, coach Turner believes that while it’s not entirely fair to put an expectation on the group, the main aim is to bring back the gold medal from El Salvador.
“I don’t think it’s fair to put expectations on the guys. Every time we play, we expect to win so our expectations never change in terms of what we want and how we want to represent Jamaica. At the same time, we can play great and things don’t go our way, and that wouldn’t be a failure. We want to walk out of there with the gold medal and that’s why we are going,” he affirmed.