YMCA World Basketball Challenge Hoop Springs Eternal

The opening shot, Philani Mabaso from SPAR Amazulu FC was the first participant to stand on the line shooting a hoop to get into the Guinness World Records at the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal down in Albert Park.

Inspector Luke Kalidin from the Albert Park Metro Police gears up to shoot a hoop at the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal.

Kristin Degou from PeacePlayers International shows a young ball player the steps.

The interest, the queue to shoot a hoop.

Participating in the Guinness World Record attempt, Olympic Marathon Runner from Kloof, Tanith Maxwell is pictured shooting a hoop at the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal on Saturday in Albert Park. Durban had two venues where people were able to shoot a hoop and tallied up a total of 1,925 people in the global basketball challenge. South Africa had four centres participating, Soweto, Athlone in Cape Town and Student Y at the Howard Campus joined Albert Park in the challenge. Maxwell was number 167 to shoot a hoop, having arrived early to participate and Olympic Hockey Player and current South African captain Lenise Marais joined in the fun activities being number 773 to be recorded to shoot.

Participating in the global basketball challenge, Albert Park residents Jared Anthony (12 years old) and Nicholas Govender (10 years old) enjoyed the day’s activities at the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal. 1,925 people in Durban took part in the Guinness World Record attempt that had over 70 countries around the world enjoying the sport that the YMCA invented.

Saturday’s Guinness World Record basketball attempt saw a variety of games being played, pictured here is Timo Nzombo from Albert Park United as he goes high in an effort pass during the game against the PeacePlayers International. Americans Kyler McClary and Kristin Degou defend as the Albert Park United player attacks in the exhibition game at the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal global basketball challenge.

Young and old all lined up to shoot a hoop on the day.

Debby Van Der Heerver dribbles the ball up in a fun game at the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal global basketball challenge, the Bluff resident was part of the Guinness World Record attempt.

Olympic hockey player and current South African captain, Lenise Marias smiles before shooting a hoop during the Guinness World Record attempt, Marias was the 773th person to shoot at Albert Park at the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal.

  

YMCA World Challenge Hoop Springs Eternal

Durban: Albert Park: 13 October

A fabulously successful day saw hundreds of people of all walks of life come down to Albert Park to participate in the YMCA Hoop Springs Eternal global basketball challenge.

The aim of the fun filled day was to be entered into the Guinness World Record where YMCA’s from around the world, starting in New Zealand and finishing up in Hawaii, aimed to welcome 5 million people to attempt to shoot a hoop.

The YMCA who invented basketball in 1871 had over 70 countries participating around the world with four centres in South Africa including Student Y at Howard College UKZN and YMCA Central in Albert Park. The number of people that supported the record attempt is over 3 thousand with 925 recorded at Albert Park and 1,000 people at Student Y. The record attempt also included two South African Olympic athletes, Marathon Runner Tanith Maxwell and Hockey Player and current captain, Lenise Marais who both successfully stood on the line, effortlessly finding the centre of the hoop.

The theme of the day was basketball and new comers to the game were treated to a coaching session by the American based Basketball organisation, the PeacePlayers International, as well as watching them in action in an invitational game between the PeacePlayers International and Albert Park United.

Rev Ian Booth CEO of Greater Durban YMCA enthused, “We are astounded by the response of people who came down to participate. Young and old all lined up and were counted.”

Talking about if the Guinness World Record had successfully been broken, Booth continued, “We await the news. The World Alliance of YMCA in Geneva is gathering all the tallies from across the globe. I know that Argentina managed to get over 20,000 people and the Czech Republic recorded 1,174 people. Once the documentation is handed over to the Guinness Book of Records, they have 16 weeks to analyse, so the process is lengthy!”

Close to two thousand people from Durban joined five continents, 96 cities and thousands of fun spirited people in a global celebration of basketball in the hope of creating a Guinness World Record.