Basketball: Otago has 9 in team

Nine Otago basketballers have been selected to represent New Zealand development teams at a junior tournament in Australia.

The six-day long Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup starts in Albury, New South Wales, tomorrow, with Otago players featuring in the New Zealand under-18 men and women teams, and the boys and girls under-14 teams.

Taiaroa Flavell and Oliver Edward-John McCombie were selected in the under-18 men's team, while Elizabeth Meriel van Harselaar made the under-18 women's team.

Oceana Campbell, Janaya Preece, Anita Samasoni and Annabelle Ring are in the under-14 girls team, and Angus Cameron and Benjamin Freeman were selected in the under-14 boys.

Players who excel at the 30th annual tournament could be selected for the national under-16 and under-19 teams later this year.

Almost 70 teams from across Australia will join the New Zealand teams in Sydney. More than 700 players, coaches and officials will be involved in the tournament.

It was first held in 1985, when 28 teams from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia took part.

More than 80 players who have participated in the tournament in the past have gone on to represent New Zealand and Australia at the international level.

Players had to fund their own trips (about $3500), with the majority fundraising the past couple of months.

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