The HSBC Basketball Classic, the prestigious, elite invitational basketball tournament that has kicked off the boys' and girls' high school season in the Lower Mainland for 12 years, is no more.
The week-long competition known casually as the HSBC is getting a name change. The international bank is no longer the flagship sponsor. Telus is.
"The values of this tournament are participation, diversity, academia and community involvement," said Robert McFarlane, the chief financial officer of Telus. "It was easy to say to HSBC, who got this off the ground, that we'll take over sponsorship."
HSBC informed tournament founder and head organizer Howard Kelsey three years ago that its support would be scaled back. HSBC funds elite, national golf and rugby events around the world but the London-based bank, announced earlier this year it was curtailing its international sports sponsorship commitments.
Kelsey's connections at HSBC recommended Telus. The transition began last year.
"(HSBC) gave us a two-year cushion, which is unprecedented, to find a new sponsor, and they also told us if you find the right one, as long as it's not a competing bank, then were happy to continue the (scholarship) sponsorship."
New Westminster and Burnaby South will be taking part in both the Telus Basketball Classic boys' and girls' secondary school divisions, which begin today at four separate Lower Mainland schools. New West will host four teams in the girls' division, beginning with Fleetwood on Wednesday at 3: 30 p.m. and John Oliver versus Handsworth at 5: 15 p.m. The Telus Basketball Classic runs Dec. 7 to 10. The finals will be held at UBC's War Memorial gym on Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m.
- with files from
