2016 Australian Under-18 Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup
Media Release from Basketball Australia:
The Under-18 Australian Junior Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup will be up for grabs this weekend as the competitions tip-off in Forestville, South Australia from April 16-23.
Continuing the vital pathway for junior basketball athletes in Australia, the Under-18's holds great significance and is a brilliant showcase for the sport.
From the current Boomers and Opals squads, Matthew Dellavedova, Abby Bishop, Dante Exum, Liz Cambage and Patty Mills are just some of the players that have participated in the Under-18's tournament.
The Kevin Coombs Cup is the Australian Junior Championship for wheelchair basketball and it presents the only opportunity for junior wheelchair basketballers to represent their state in a National Championship.
The age groups are based on international junior wheelchair basketball age groups; Under-23 for Males and Under-25 for Females.
"Whilst all the national championships are special, the U18’s are where we start to see some of the stand out athletes that are on the verge of playing in the national leagues and the Boomers and Opals in the near future," said Basketball South Australia CEO Mark Hubbard.
"For those that haven’t watched a game of wheelchair basketball I highly encourage you to make the time, as it’s highly skilled and great to watch. We may also be watching future Australian Gliders and Rollers, teams that continue to perform exceptionally well on the world stage."
Having hosted the Under-18's tournament in 2006, the competition returns to Forestville this year with games to be held at Wayville and Pasadena Sports Centres.
In the Under-18 men's competition, NSW Country will be attempting to defend their title while the Vic Metro women will be aiming for an unbelievable fifth three-peat in the 50-year history of the tournament. However, both sides will face stiff competition from 12 other competing teams.
Representing the winners of the past two Kevin Coombs Cup's, Queensland will also be looking to reassert their dominance and their chances have increased as they have sent two of the five competing teams this year.
Daily results and stats from both tournaments can be found on the Basketball Australia website.
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