Cooksville Kids athletic Team Training (CKaTT) was chosen to host the North American Basketball Association’s (NABA) Labour Day Madness hoopla.
Both boys and girls in a number of age groups will compete in the double-elimination series at several Mississauga facilities, including the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), as well as a number of community centres, including Huron Park, Burnhamthorpe, Frank McKechnie, South Common and Cawthra.
The 20th annual tournament, featuring teams from 22 Canadian and American cities, will begin with a dinner tonight at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel, where Mayor Hazel McCallion will welcome guests, including members of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
The opening ceremonies will also include a parade of the participating teams and this year’s Miss NABA.
“Filipinos’ affection for the sport is comparable to Canadians’ love of hockey,” said organizer Rey Carolino. “Basketball is the number one sport in the Philippines.”
He added that about four per cent of Mississauga's population is Filipino.
“Teams (that attend the tournament) play for prestige and glory,” said Carolino. “In the Olympics, only the best athletes represent their country. The same is true at NABA.”
The Mississauga-based CKaTT organization has fielded teams in the Ontario Basketball Association since 2001.
A spin-off of the popular and continuing Philippine Intercity Basketball of North America tournament, the games are often intense, said Carolino.
“It’s tough and intense,” he said, about the rivalry. “It's a war zone during the two-day fest, but (by the awards banquet Sunday evening), enemies transform into friends and they part ways with memories.”
CKaTT was organized in 2001 by Mississauga residents who hailed from the same city in the Philippines (Caloocan City).
“They decided to give their children a basketball team of their own,” said Carolino.
CKaTT originally stood for Caloocan, Kapit-bahay and Tabi-Tabi, a Filipino term for "Caloocan, neighbouring and other cities."
The name was officially changed to CKaTT when the team applied for non-profit status last year.
