A handball tournament is being held in the Bronx today, bringing more than 200 handball athletes together to celebrate the history of the sport.
The Red Bulll Slaps Tournament is being held at Orchard Beach and players are competing for cash prizes that total up to $10,000.
Handball has a long history in New York City. It was introduced by Irish immigrants in the early 1900s and now it’s played all over the five boroughs in over 2,000 handball courts.
Today is the eighth annual competition sponsored by Red Bul.
Organizers say spots in the free event were totally full within 14 minutes after opening.
They say competitors are competing in four brackets; an amateur bracket, female bracket, professional bracket and doubles.
"It’s player versus player, but people really identify with the borough that they’re from and when people get on the court it's, ‘Are you from Brooklyn?’ And so far I think the Bronx has the edge,” says Jasmine Ray, founder of the United States Wall-Ball Association.
The champions will be announced at around 5:30 p.m.