Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/879686
21 Sport BASKETBALL POWERBOAT RACING maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2017 Basketball 3x3 set to take Malta by storm Maltese Olympic Committee on a drive to grow this sport THE Maltese Olympic Com- mittee, under the Sports for All umbrella will be launch- ing the first activity, in a se- ries of many, involving 3 x 3 Basketball. 3x3 Basketball is a new ini- tiative by FIBA to help make basketball a more versatile sport and is a form of basket- ball played three a side on one hoop. 3x3 Basketball consists of two events in the tourna- ment; one for men and an- other for women. Each team has 4 players (3 on court, 1 bench). David Azzopardi, Chair of the Sports for all Commission explained that the first event will take place this weekend, Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October in St. George's Square in Valletta and participation is open to all. Courts will be available from 10:00hrs on Saturday and 14:00hrs on Sunday. In order to keep as much of a level playing field as possible allocated times have been set for school-aged children and wheelchair basketball. Na- tional League finals will also be held at the times listed below. School Children Saturday / Sunday 15:00hrs – 19:00hrs Wheel Chair Basketball Saturday / Sunday 12:00hrs – 19:00hrs National League Finals Saturday 15:30hrs – 22:00hrs Sunday 15:00hrs – 20:00hrs Those taking part will also be encouraged to practice wheelchair basketball and participating children and youths will be presented with a small memento. "We are particularly thrilled with the inclusion of wheel- chair basketball in the pro- gramme further strengthens our efforts to promote a sport for all mind-set in Malta". – David Azzopardi. "The 3x3 concept has all the elements and skills re- quired for the sport but is one of the easiest and most effective ways to bring young people into the sport. The f lexibility that 3x3 bas- ketball has enables us to provide a live promotion of the game to the general pub- lic in various locations with minimal effort to setup" ex- plained Julian Pace Bonello, President, Maltese Olympic Committee. 3x3 was included as part of the Olympic Basketball pro- gramme starting with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Street Basketball 3x3 is be- ing hosted and sponsored by the Maltese Olympic Com- mittee - Sports For All - in collaboration with Sport- Malta, Malta Basketball Association, Malta Wheel Chair Basketball, the Min- istry of Education, the Malta Down Syndrome Associa- tion and the Malta School Sports Federation. UIM Class VI World Powerboat Championship Chaudron back in action WILFRED SULTANA 'WE Race What We Build" has been the hallmark associated with Chaudron Powerboats since their international rac- ing debut as a "Wildcard" en- trant on the P1 circuit in May 2004 during the Malta GP. Since that debut, with the brother-and-sister team of Aaron and Audrien – as driver and trotter-man - the name Chaudron grew gain- ing respect, experience and status - winning Six World Championships as boat builders where on Four occa- sions Aaron Ciantar featured on winning team as Driver. Now Chaudron are back in action at the 2017 UIM Class I and Class VI World Power- boat Championships being held as part of the 'Grand Prix of Italy' at Chiaggio, the town situated on a small is- land at the southern entrance to the Lagoon of Venice about 25 kilometres south of Ven- ice. The World Champion- ships are being organised by the Associazione Motonauti- ca Venezia, with the authori- zation of the UIM National Authority the Federazione Italiana Motonautica (FIM), under the auspices of the Un- ion Internationale Motonau- tique (UIM). Between Wednesday 27th September and Sunday 1st October 5, 55 Chaudron, a 41-footer equipped with two 8oo HP each Mercury racing engines, will challenge for the Class VI World title against teams hailing from England, United Arab Emirates, Rus- sia, Germany and Italy. This 'Grand Prix of Italy' World Championship will see together again racing crew members Aaron Cian- tar as driver and Frenchman Dominique Martini as throt- tle-man who in 2014 won the UIM Class VI World Power- boat Championship title. 55 Chaudron again challenges the waves and the World Title