Randy Smith has made friends all over the world, and he tends to keep in touch.
For 14 years, Smith has traveled with a team of colleagues and friends to the U.K. to play the annual GB Masters Basketball tournament.
Now Smith is returning the favor. He is organizing and sponsoring a tournament in the Miss-Lou that is to host five international teams made up of players mostly 50-years or older.
The first games are scheduled to tip off Nov. 12 and will play through Nov. 15.
“Every year I say, ‘Come to the states,’” Smith said. “Finally (I) said, ‘Well, we have the 300th celebration. We’re celebrating the British that week, Y’all come and I’ll get the gym and the referees and sponsors and we’ll have a tournament.’”
The tournament is a round robin format. Games are 15-minute halves. Smith said he is trying to fill the five local teams slated to face the five teams from the U.K. and Ireland. Teams are made up of eight players.
“They play all over Europe, so they’re pretty good,” Smith said. “For them, it’s a camaraderie thing.”
Smith said he never stopped playing basketball, even after his college days ended at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Delta State.
While Smith was working overseas in Aberdeen, Scotland, he played in a city recreational league.
In 1995, the first GB Masters Basketball hosted teams for women over 35 and men over 40 and 50.
Smith continued to make the trip back to the U.K. whenever he could, and he has taken at least one team to the tournament for the past 14 years. Players on Smith’s hail from all over the country including Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and California.
Robert Sanders, Vidalia High School basketball coach, is one of the players who has traveled with Smith. Sanders has played in the tournament since 2012, but he said it took some convincing on Smith’s part.
“He started talking to me about going to Europe and I didn’t take him seriously..” Sanders said. “After 2011 I saw an article in the paper that he actually did go. So the next time around I decided I’d try it again.”
Smith and Sander’s squad placed second at the previous tournament.
Smith encourages interested players to reach out regarding finding space on once of the five local teams set to play in the event. Interested players can reach Smith at 337-889-3960 or Randy.Smith@smithmasonco.com.