Special Olympics Indiana hosting 54th annual state basketball tournament

Special Olympics Indiana’s annual state basketball tournaments return to the hardwood with athletes and Unified partners from county programs across the state taking part in a pair of upcoming weekends.

The adult tournaments are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 21, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at the Pacers Athletic Center at Grand Park. The two-day format features separate divisions for coed, women’s and Unified teams. There also is an individual skills event on March 21. Unified sports brings together individuals with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams.

The Indiana adult state basketball tournaments are among the largest Special Olympics basketball events in North America with more than 900 athletes involved.

The Youth Basketball Tournament is Saturday, March 28, at the University of Indianapolis. Competition is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and an Opening Ceremony begins at 1:00 p.m.. Special Olympics Indiana conducts the only Special Olympics basketball tournament in the world dedicated solely to youth players.

Sectional tournaments took place March 7-8. State brackets are being compiled and will be available at SOIndiana.org/baseketball-tournaments.

Basketball is the third-largest sport that Special Olympics Indiana offers. In all, more than 2,000 athletes and Unified partners participate across the state.

All Special Olympics Indiana State Basketball Tournaments are open to media and free to spectators. Learn more about how to volunteer at the men’s and women’s events by visiting SOIndiana.org/volunteer.