BY GREG HUTT. Canberra Times.

10 June 2008

The national capital's best young basketballers are dribbling, rebounding and shooting for a place in the ACT team at this year's Pacific Schools Games.

 

The leading players from the territory's seven districts began their bid for selection last Thursday at the Belconnen Basketball Centre when the Jamie Pearlman Cup got under way.

 

The Pacific games will be held in the nation's capital between November 30 and December 6.

 

The Games will feature five sports and have attracted the interest of 25 countries.

Wayne Kaye is the coach of the ACT Pacific Schools Games basketball side and he knows all too well just how big an assignment his line-up faces against the bigger states such as Victoria.

 

''We played them last year in Cairns and they had 150 kids turn up just for a trial and they invited about 60 back for a whole week's trials,'' he said. ''So you can imagine how competitive they'd be. And we get nothing like that.''

 

One player hoping to be at the Games is Gungahlin area rep team guard Jack Hoskings, who is hoping to one day emulate his favourite NBA star.

''Allen Iverson's my favourite player, he plays for the [Denver] Nuggets. They're also my favourite team,'' he said excitedly.

 

The ACT squad will only be provisional, with a re-evaluation of the roster as the event draws closer.

 

''Most of these boys are involved in junior ACT rep programs at the moment, so that finishes for them about week two of term three,'' Kaye said.

 

''So then we sort of pick the team again. It's a bit early to pick the team, six months out.''

 

Basketball will be making only its second appearance in the 26 year history of the Pacific School Games.

 

The inaugural Pacific School event was a test event for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. Since then 55 nations have participated at least once in the event.

 

The general manager of Basketball Canberra and competition director, Gary Evans, said the 'usual suspects' will be the favourites for the basketball tournament.

''Well, as always they'll be the big states NSW, Victoria, South Australia, they're pretty strong.''

 

There is an opportunity for many potential stars to participate in the Games with there being a number of divisions ranging from the girls 12 years and under to wheelchair 18 years and under composite (mixed gender teams).

 

Competition venues for the basketball will be split between the Belconnen Basketball Stadium and the Australian Institute of Sport Basketball and Netball Centre in Bruce.

 

There will also be an increase in the number of players competing at this year's Games with the All Schools Championships being incorporated into the event. The Pacific School Games basketball tournament will also replace the annual School Sport Australia Tournament.

 

Competitors must register electronically on the Pacific School Games website in the window between July 21 and October 16.

 

Up to 4000 students are expected to participate in this year's Games.

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Last updated on: 12 June 2008