With the Easter Week, come the good weather and the Mare Nostrum Cup. In total, more than 8,000 people will arrive from the four continents (except for Oceania), for the 8th edition of the Mare Nostrum Cup Basket "Ciutat de Reus" and the 18th of the Mare Nostrum Football Cup. The basketball tournament will take place from March 26th to the 28th and the football tournament from the 29th of March until the 1st of April. A total of 440 teams will arrive in the regions of the Tarragonès and Baix Camp to participate in one of the most prestigious sports competitions of the Mediterranean.
The basketball tournament has the city of Reus as one of the main venues with the Municipal Olympic Pavilion. In addition, since the previous edition, counts on the presence of former FC Barcelona player Audie Norris, a benchmark in basketball. He runs, from a formative aspect this event, being responsible for the Mare Nostrum Cup Bàsquet Academy. As for the accommodations, a large group of athletes and companions will stay at Cambrils Park Sport Village and the other at Hotel Regina in Salou.
This morning the eighth edition of the Mare Nostrum Cup Basket "Ciutat de Reus" was inaugurated. The event was held at Cambrils Park Resort and at the Hotel Regina. This eighth edition is a record: it has 26 basketball courts and 14 pavilions. They also exceed in team figures, with more than 2.500 participants and passing from 156 teams to 204, 102 male teams and 102 female teams “ which many are repeaters” according to Josep Masip, Director of the tournament. During this morning, all the teams will be arriving to their accommodations, and from this afternoon and all Tuesday, the matches will be played. On Wednesday 27th the qualifying and final stages of each category will begin. From 18:45 hours, the closing ceremony will be held with a prize-giving ceremony in the Olympic Pavilion of Reus.
This eighth edition of the basketball tournament will give way to the football tournament. It also increases the number of participation and will have the presence of more than 6000 people, between football players (3000) and companions (3000). It will count on the Complex Esportiu Futbol Salou as the neuralgic center of the competition. This year, the sports facilities have gone from 8 to 11 football fields, which will be 100% occupied. As well as, to measure the sporting activity, other facilities in the surroundings will be used in Salou, Reus, Tarragona and El Catllar.
The Mare Nostrum Cup tournament will leave an impact in the territory of more than 2 million euros. But this is an important competition not only within the territory; it is also a commitment to continue growing in a sustained manner and to continue with sporting leadership in the municipality, where the Costa Daurada is consolidated as a sport tourism destination.