THE Kerry Masters Basketball tournament was another resounding success at the weekend with teams from all over the country and beyond coming to the town.

The competition brings past players from all over the country down for the weekend to renew friendships and rivalries and this year, Tralee Together Special Olympics was the chosen charity to benefit from the tournament.

“This is the second year and it’s going strong,” said tournament organiser, Rick Leonard, at the social held in Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Saturday night.

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“We have a couple of extra teams this year, we have a local Kerry team for people to support and we hope it grows next year. The guys are all here tonight to socialise and that’s what it’s all about – to have fun and raise some money for the Tralee Together Special Olympics,” he added.

The social was also an occasion to honour the late Bruddy Burrows who died in October of last year. A special Lifetime Achievement award was presented to his family on the night. The family will have the trophy for a year and then it will be played for in next year’s competition.

Bruddy was a great all-round sportsman winning All-Ireland minor medals in football with Kerry, but basketball was his real love. He was capped 25 times for Ireland and he also captained the side.

“It’s a great honour and we’re delighted to accept the award on his behalf,” said Bruddy’s daughter, Paula. “I think he would have been honoured and the fact that it’s a perpetual award allows his memory to live on. Basketball was a great love of his, in fact he gave up football to concentrate on basketball,” said Paula.

In the basketball competition itself, after two days of action, the Mayo team beat a Munster Mix side in the ladies competition, while the Trailblazers beat the Cougars in the men’s final, both of which were played in Cumann Iosaef centre.

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