Josh Aitcheson admits all the hard work has been worth it.
Now he is lapping up the sun and the warmth of Fiji.
Aitcheson (18) was part of the Junior Tall Blacks side which achieved what many considered the impossible in downing the Australian under-18 side 57-51 in the final of the Oceania tournament in Fiji over the weekend, and with it qualifying for the World Championships in Egypt next year.
Aitcheson said from Fiji yesterday the win was slowly sinking in.
``Right after the game it was just elation. Just crazy, really,'' he said.
``But we were definitely confident going into the game. The guys had worked hard and the coaches had done all the scouting of the players so we knew what to expect.
``Both teams struggled to put the shots through the net. It was a pretty low-scoring sort of game. But we managed to get some shots in when it counted and that is what matters.''
He said the team had a great night celebrating and it was now both time to look back to what it has achieved and look ahead to the world championships.
``We had a really strong group. Everyone worked hard for each other and the coaches did a really good job. They knew what to expect and helped us a lot. Just all we did in preparation.
``You don't think of all the hard work you've done immediately but afterwards you think of all the coaches have done, how your family has helped all along the way.''
Aitcheson was averaging up to 10 training sessions a week - both morning and night - during the peak of the basketball season, and said at times it was hard going. But wins such as he experienced on Saturday night made it all worthwhile.
It was the first time New Zealand had qualified for the under-19 world championships. It had been in the tournament before, but that was when it hosted the tournament in 2009.
The Australians were so confident of winning they had booked accommodation in Cairo for the world championships next year before the event had started in Fiji.
Aitcheson was enjoying a week's holiday in Fiji with family before heading back to Dunedin for Christmas.
He scored two points in the final, the first man off the bench, in a New Zealand squad which had plenty of depth.
Aitcheson was looking forward to the world championships next year. He would study at the University of Otago but was bound to need plenty of time off. Basketball New Zealand will be looking at a putting together a programme for the team before the world championships.
``I'm not sure what is happening with selection and camps and things. But I'm really looking forward to the whole year,'' he said.
