Lucas Sáez-BravoSpecial envoy Málaga

Special envoy Malaga

Updated Sunday, February 18, 2024-14:41

The Carpena looked almost full in the early morning, even though the Cup final classic was a few hours later. The Mini Cup has become another attraction of the tournament. And there, in the front row, was the Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports,

Pilar Alegría

, to witness it . Along with

Antonio Martín

,

José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes

, president of the CSD,

Arturo Bernal

, counselor of Tourism, culture and sports of the Junta de Andalucía or

Florentino Pérez

. A year ago, almost 9,000 people attended in Badalona. This Sunday there were officially 4,739. To see live the exhibition of the phenomenon

Mohamed Dabone

, an African giant born a year before the rest of the participants (2011) and who puts his name in the MVP list along with such illustrious names from the past as

Ricky Rubio, Luka Doncic , Usman Garuba or Juan Núñez

.

To know more

Copa del Rey.

Chus Mateo vs Roger Grimau: two beatings, two debuts in the final and already many pending accounts

  • Editor: LUCAS SÁEZ-BRAVO (Special Envoy)Málaga

Chus Mateo vs Roger Grimau: two beatings, two debuts in the final and already many pending accounts

Barça won, in which the talent of

Jan Cerdán also shone (19 points, five rebounds and nine assists)

. Already in the second quarter the Blaugranas opened a gap, it didn't matter that their rival defended in the zone as if they were professionals. They are U14 geniuses who perfectly master adult concepts, the pick and roll with unusual ease. And although when they returned from the locker room, Real Madrid tried to engage in the battle, with the steals and counters of Rhys

Robinson and the points of Pablo Mera and Manel

, they had no options in the end.

Barcelona and Real Madrid had reached the final, destroying their rivals. A walk through Malaga. In the semi-finals, for example, the Blaugrana (who won all their games by an average of 50.2 points), fleeced the local Unicaja (46-95). The whites, who were playing in their 12th consecutive final (they have won nine of the last 10 Mini Cups), did the same with Valencia (110-64).

A domain so overwhelming that it opens debates about whether such competitiveness is advisable in training categories, in 13-year-old children. Because the abuse of Madrid and Barça is not only based on talent. There is a lot of physical advantage and recruitment work. And not only in this 2024 edition in which MVP Dabone drew special attention, although the whites had their own African tower in front of them.

Baptiste Moussa Manel

is almost 2.10 meters tall. Last year the Malian

Mahamadou Landoure

and his 211 centimeters reigned: he scored 56 points, grabbed 33 rebounds and made five blocks (only in the final against Barça at the Olimpic in Badalona).

Dabone, against Real Madrid.ACB Photo

The Dabone thing, which unleashed the hums and the "oooooh!" from the stands, it was amazing too. When he was expelled for five fouls he received the ovation and shouts of MVP: he finished with 22 points, 25 rebounds, five steals and six blocks. He has been attracting attention for a long time. He has been dominant in cadet tournaments (Spanish Championship for regional teams), with children up to two and three years older. And he even made his debut in Barça's junior team. In the Mini Cup the contrast with other children with reasonable physiques at his age has been too striking. The one from Burkina Faso dominates absolutely everything, dunks, blocks and superior technical mastery that is reminiscent of

Giannis Antetokounmpo

.