Lowertown basketball tournament aims to bring 'peace in the streets'

Eight youth basketball teams took to the courts of a Lowertown park Saturday for a tournament held in the memory of two young Black men shot and killed last summer, just minutes away.

Dozens came out to watch the "Peace in the Streets" tournament in Jules Morin Park, which honoured 20-year-old Loris Tyson Ndongozi and 18-year old Creflo Tansia.

Ndongozi was playing pick-up basketball one night last July with a friend when they were both shot. Ndongozi was not the target — the friend was, according to police — but he was the one who died in the attack.

Tansia was fatally shot on Murray Street roughly one month later. 

A 17-year-old was arrested in connection with that homicide.

Organizer Manock Lual said the tournament was intended not just to commemorate the two young Black men, but also to promote peace and show that sports can play a role in fighting youth crime. 

"We hear about Joker, and we think Batman is a good guy. But what created the Joker? A lack of resources, a whole lot of trauma, a lack of support. This is what creates our Jokers, right?" said Lual.

"So we want to come together and say, 'Hey, if you need support, there is a community, hundreds of people that will help you.'"

Lual said basketball can act as a "social engineering tool" that provides youth with the community and support they need.

"Once you're on someone's team, you're not thinking about the colour of their skin, their gender ... you just think about collectively getting together and winning the game," said Lual. 

Lual added he hopes the tournament becomes an annual event.

The teams came from neighbourhoods across Ottawa, including Caldwell, Overbrook and Sandy Hill.

Samuel Douf coached the team from Caldwell, which ended up winning the