BY MEGAN ASHLEY FINK

The Natchez Democrat

natchez — The British are coming!

The British will invade Natchez once again next year, bringing an international basketball tournament to town as part of the Natchez Tricentennial celebration.

Natchez resident Randy Smith has been attending the annual international Global Masters Championship Tournament for 14 years, and this year he is inviting the organization to Natchez for the 300th anniversary of the city’s inception.

“I live (in Natchez), and I’m a big supporter for the tournament, so I invited them to come to our place this year,” Smith said.

Tricentennial Director Jennifer Ogden Combs said she is pleased Natchez was chosen to host the tournament, which she said is a great opportunity for locals to interact with international players.

“I am thrilled for Natchez to host this international basketball tournament in November and to be able to include the British in our Tricentennial celebrations,” she said.

In honor of Natchez history, Smith hopes to invite competitors from countries pertaining to the area’s past.

“We’re trying to get Spanish, French and British teams, but we’ll see,” Smith said.

Global masters chief organizer Nicky Shaw visited Natchez for a week to begin organizing the logistics.

“What I can tell you after my week in Natchez is that this is a beautiful town, picturesque and steeped in history,” Shaw said.

“The town has so much to offer, and there is so much to see in and around Mississippi and other neighboring states.”

Shaw said that the people of Natchez were a big part of the city’s selection as the tournament site for 2016.

“Every single person I met, whether connected or not to next year’s celebrations, were wonderfully warm and welcoming and all looking forward so much to the basketball invasion planned for next year,” Shaw said.

The basketball competition is open only to women over 35 and men over 40, who compete separately by gender and age group.

The tournament includes teams from several European countries, as well as several from the U.S. The local team is called Team Louisiana.

“We’ve done really well,” Smith said. The team’s different age and gender sections combined have won first place nine times and secured first runner-up twice.

“The British are coming,” Smith said. “We’re hoping a couple hundred. It’d be fun if a lot of them came.” Smith said that tours and events were organized in the area for those who attend the tournament.