There are ambitious plans for a new 3-on-3 basketball tournament coming to Ladner on Labour Day Weekend in tribute to a popular former high school teacher and coach.
The Delta Dunc-Fest will take place at Delta Secondary School, where former teacher and coach Duncan Anderson made a life-lasting impression on his students and players.
It was in 2012 when Anderson passed away from complications of a stroke at 66. A few years later the Duncan Anderson Memorial Scholarship was launched and is now overseen by Basketball B.C. All proceeds from the inaugural tournament will go to the scholarship fund, with hopes of adding more recipients, specificially from Delta schools, in the years to come.
It was two of his former players, Onkar Bahia and Bob Sidhu, who approached the Anderson family about the possibility of organizing a tournament. Both were members of the 1993 Pacers team that earned the Ladner school its first provincial tournament berth in 14 years.
Momentum has built since, with hopes of taking the tournament beyond the walls of DSS after positive meetings with the City of Delta and the local business community.
“What we eventually like to do is close down (a section) of the downtown village and run it as an outdoor tournament with a slam dunk contest, vendors and food trucks,” said John Anderson, a DSS grad and one of Duncan’s five children. “We have already been in contact with the city and have the support of the Ladner Business Association. We want to get the tournament to a point where it becomes an event, where people want to check it out even if they are not playing.”
Since his father’s passing, John has constantly been reminded how his dad made an impact on so many of his former students and players. He was a well-respected science teacher during the day and a devoted hoop coach once the 3 p.m. bell rang.
“He was as passionate about the relationship he developed with the players and their development on and off the court. Basketball was the shared interest between them but he loved the 12th guy and as more as the first guy on all his teams. Even the team managers. He was a role model to so many," said John.
The 3-on-3 tourney features divisions of all ages and promises to be a fun couple of days for a terrific cause. Tournament registration can be found here. You can follow the tournament updates on Instagram at @deltaduncfest3v3
