The Owensboro Sportscenter again played host to the Kentucky 2A Boys and Girls Basketball Championships. The tournament began Thursday and wraps up today, and Visit Owensboro officials are excited for the impact the event has on the city.
“It’s all about the economic impact and improving the quality of life for the citizens of Daviess County and Owensboro,” said Chris Gendek, who oversees destination development and sports management for Visit Owensboro. “There are 16 teams to town, so including the players, their parents, coaches, and fans, that’s a lot of people staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, shopping, buying gas, spending money right here in our local businesses.”
These 2A championships draw athletes from across the state of Kentucky representing schools with 1,000 students or less but not qualifying for the All “A” Classic.
2A Championship Chairman Jeremy Tackett said that they are excited about the partnership with the Owensboro and Daviess County.
“This tournament will give the schools in the Kentucky 2A championships an opportunity to play at terrific facilities with a fantastic atmosphere,” Tackett said.
Mark Calitri, President/CEO of Visit Owensboro, said sports tourism attracts new people and jobs to the community, making it a key component in creating an economic impact and improving the quality of life for the residents.
“With another downtown hotel on the way, our successful path forward must continue to be an aggressive approach to attracting hotel-staying groups, which generate the greatest economic impact for all our tourism partners,” Calitri said. “Successful communities are focused on attracting our most profitable, ideal customers.”
