The Club Atlético Lanús hosted the 51st Argentine Minibasketball Encounter, welcoming 47 teams across U9, U11, and U13 categories to its Antonio Rotili stadium for concurrent matches on three courts, clublanus.com reported.
Forty-Seven Teams Fill the Antonio Rotili Stadium
Action began early Saturday morning as the institution filled every corner with youth basketball activity. The tournament brought together 18 teams in the U9 division, 20 in the U11 category, and 9 in the U13 bracket, incorporating both male and female squads, according to clublanus.com. Participating clubs included Lanús alongside Taponazo, Wilde, Racing Club, Luz y Arte, Country, Social Lanús, Tempestad, Ricardo Gutiérrez, Temperley, and Juventud de La Plata. Thousands of family members and coaching staffs filled the stands to watch the opening parade and subsequent matches.
Honoring Alicia Vexina and Family Heritage
The opening ceremony featured a tribute to the family of Alicia Vexina, the namesake of the 51st edition, recognized for her dedication to grassroots basketball development, clublanus.com reported. The tribute carried direct institutional significance because Nicolás Tilloy, a youth basketball coach at Lanús, is Alicia Vexina’s son. Federico Helale, president of Men’s Basketball at Lanús, and María José Ordóñez, president of Women’s Basketball, presented plaques alongside officials from the regional governing body, the Federación de Básquetbol del Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (FEBAMBA).
Metropolitan and Regional Expansion Across Buenos Aires
While Lanús served as a primary hub, the broader 51st Argentine Minibasketball Encounter extended across Buenos Aires and surrounding districts under FEBAMBA and AFMB organization, drawing entries from a total of 63 participating clubs, as reported by Cadena Nueve. The wider event incorporated delegations from various Argentine provinces as well as international guest squads from Uruguay and Brazil, noted Febamba. Historic venues including the CeNARD and Club Atlético Platense’s stadium have previously hosted segments of the tournament, maintaining a tradition that dates back to the third edition in 1976, when Club Atlético 9 de Julio first began participating, according to Cadena Nueve.
Recreational Focus and Community Engagement
Tournament organizers emphasized that competitive scores remained secondary to socialization, friendship, and the fundamental experience of sharing the court with peers from different regions, Febamba reported. Following the inaugural ceremony at Lanús, the day transitioned into an extensive schedule of non-stop matches, awards distributions, and commemorative photographs that kept the venue packed through the afternoon. General admission for tournament venues was set at $4,000 pesos, with a reduced rate of $1,000 pesos for retirees, according to Febamba.
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