Panama Basketball Rookie of the Year!
by Sandra Snyder
Desmond Alexis Smith was named Rookie of the Year following the final game of the Circuito de Baloncesto Superior (CBS) / Copa Pandeportes. Shown here being presented the trophy by David Wilson.
Alexis, who will be a junior this year at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, is a nationalized Panamanian. His father was born in Colon and spent his childhood and part of his teenage years in Panama.
Alexis has full athletic scholarship at the College of William and Mary and he was recruited by the Panama Basketball Federation (Federacion Panamena de Baloncesto or FEPABA) this season to play for the Panama National Team (Seleccion Mayor de Baloncesto).
He has played for the Magnates in the Circuito de Baloncesto Superior (CBS) / Copa Pandeportes, the team that took second place in this successful national basketball league that competed from May 10th to July 7th. The Magnates just barely lost to the Navieros from Colon in the Championship Game. For the many Panamanian cousins and family members living in Colon and Panama it was tough to know which team to root for in this exciting final game. This was Colon's third year to win the CBS. Nilda Quijano, Colon Free Zone General Manager presented the trophy to the Navieros.
Alexis was a member of the Panama National Team that traveled to Chile for a series of friendly games, or cuadrangular tournament with Chile, Argentina and Uruguay at the end of June.
Named Rookie of the Year for his outstanding athletic accomplishments and excellent attitude and discipline during the CBS season, Alexis is now in Brazil with the National Team, one of eight National Teams participating in the PanAmerican Games.
At the time of this writing, the team had lost in a close match with Argentina but went on to soundly beat the U.S. A. The U.S. team was reported to be that country’s best University talent. Be sure to catch the future games of this amazing Panama team.
© Sandra T. Snyder
Author of Living in Panama and other books
Panama Eagle, August 2007 |
