BATTLE 416

Battle 416 began in partnership with the Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) and the Mabuhay Philippines Festival. The event was meant to highlight the deep-rooted love of basketball by Filipinos around the world. The initial tournament garnered unprecedented attention to the festival and attracted an audience previously unfamiliar with the event. In addition, the demographic in attendance expanded to include younger age groups and a varying array of cultural backgrounds. The event proved to be a success given that there are no other 5 on 5 outdoor basketball tournaments being held in the Greater Toronto Area.

In its second year, Battle 416 exploded in popularity riding on the success, word of mouth and social media impact of the previous year. Images of people playing a sanctioned basketball tournament on a full-size outdoor court with the façade of Toronto City Hall in the background became groundbreaking. Media outlets such as CP24, CTV News, 680 News and City TV descended on the court set up at Nathan Phillips Square to highlight the event. Professional dunkers and basketball players joined the tournament in order to take in the outdoor experience. As a result, audience numbers doubled and demand for court time from out-of-town teams increased. Media outlets had dubbed the event as “the newest summer must-see” in the City of Toronto.

After its initial success and the increase in demand for the same outdoor basketball experience, plans were made to have the tournament in other cities. Battle 604 in Montreal and Battle 905 in Brampton began to take shape. Unfortunately, the event’s third year came to a halt due to Covid-19. Now that Covid related restrictions are easing, several out-of-town teams have committed to participating in both the Battle 905 and Battle 416 events. Teams from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, New York and Chicago have confirmed.