Know Your U16 Boys – U19 Men’s Ontario Cup Hosts!

The OBA Championships are here and many regions around Ontario have graciously agreed to host the Ontario Cup in their area. In this series, we will highlight details about the community and the many things to do there during your stay in the region.

Durham Region

Located on eastern edge of the Greater Toronto Area, Durham Region is the host to this year’s U16 Boys, U17 Boys, and U19 Men’s Ontario Cup tournaments. We connected with host OBA club DK Dragons and Sport Durham representatives to determine their motivation for hosting the Ontario Cup Championships this year.

***

Q: What was your motivation to host a 2022 Ontario Basketball Championship event?

A: The motivation for Durham/Kawarthas Dragons Basketball Club and Sport Durham to host a 2022 Ontario Basketball event is to continue to support increased participation in basketball and to strengthen basketball event hosting capacity in our community through legacy plans. Hosting this event also delivers economic benefits to local businesses and gives us the opportunity to welcome and provide event participants from across Ontario with memorable experiences both on and off the court.

Q: Has your club or organization ever hosted an Ontario Basketball Championship event before? If so, when and what division(s)?

  • 2019: U15 Girls Ontario Cup Provincial Basketball Championships
  • 2017-2018: U15 Girls Ontario Cup Provincial Basketball Championships
  • 2014-2015: U10 Girls Ontario Cup Provincial Basketball Championships
  • 2014-2015: U17 Boys Ontario Cup Provincial Basketball Championships

Q: What does hosting an Ontario Basketball Championship event mean to the local basketball community? Are you hoping to establish a hosting legacy?

A: As a legacy of hosting this event, DK Dragons is collaborating with Sport Durham and other partners to develop and execute a robust and sustainable minor officials program to ensure a full complement of trained table officials for the 2022 OBA Championships and for future events. This program will provide leadership and training opportunities for youth in our community and will help us to grow our base of basketball officials, strengthening our basketball event hosting capacity.

Q: Will you be holding any ancillary events to coincide with your Ontario Basketball Championship event?

A: Although we may not hold ancillary events to coincide with our Ontario Basketball Championship, we are exploring ways to make this event memorable and to elevate the experience for event participants and fans as we have in past years.

Q: Can you highlight a few tourist attractions or events in your host community? What is your host community known for?

A: Known for our blend of urban excitement and country charm, Durham Region is one of the fastest growing regions in Ontario with numerous attractions that draw visitors during all four seasons. Once here, visitors are impressed with the rich history, culture and beautiful landscape of the area, our galleries, museums, live theatre and performance centres, our vibrant downtowns, local food and award-winning craft breweries. We have over 350 kilometres of recreational trails – in fact, Uxbridge, one of our northern municipalities, boasts the title of the Trail Capital of Canada – beautiful settings for hiking and mountain biking in the spring. Those looking for excitement can catch a high adrenaline motorsport event or enjoy live quarter horse racing. Find fun for the whole family at zoos like Jungle Cat World and Reptilia, enjoy bowling and arcade games at NEB’s Fun World and get active at Sky Zone Trampoline Park and Treetop Eco-Adventure Park. And for information on festivals and events while you’re here, visit the Durham Tourism event calendar.

Links

Durham Tourism (Sport Event Visitors) – Discover Durham Region!