Thirty-five teams hailing from 13 different Minibasket centers in Malta are participating in this season's Kinnie Minibasketball 2002/2003 tournaments. The season comes to an end in May with a final event bringing all the age categories together for a morning of fun and games.

Organised by the Malta Basketball Association (MBA) and sponsored by Malta's national soft drink, Kinnie, the teams are divided into five categories. These are the Under 9 Mixed; Under 11 and Under 13 Boys; and Under 11 and Under 13 Girls. The young participants train at the various basketball centers around Malta.

The aim of the Kinnie Minibasket tournaments is to encourage aspiring young players and team participation rather than creating competition. "This year we have seen the highest number of participants joining the Kinnie Minibasket tournaments," said the General Secretary of MBA, Frank Camilleri.

"The tournament generated great enthusiasm among the young players and we had a good season. It provided the ideal opportunity for budding basketball enthusiasts to practice their favourite sport in a friendly atmosphere," said Mr Camilleri.

Kinnie Brand Executive at Farsons, Joanne Scerri Valentino said: "Kinnie has been committed to support basketball for quite a number of years, in particular the Kinnie Men's National League and Kinnie Minibasket. We are pleased that the Kinnie Minibasket tournaments are now a fixture in our sports calendar and hope to continue our association with the event."

The training starts again in October 2003. Interested children aged between 9 and 13 years old, who would like to join one of the centres, may contact MBA. The children are placed at basketball centers according to their desired locality.

Further information can be obtained from the MBA website: www.mba.org.mt.