Sarah Oliver
Three players from the Whittlesea Junior Basketball Association have been selected to participate in Basketball Victoria’s esteemed 2021 Gold Nugget Camp.
Rhylee Leighton (13), Jaxson Meyer (12) and Logan Oldmeadow (12) were selected from the Under-14 Basketball Victoria Country academy program out of approximately 700 kids.
Whittlesea representative coordinator Mick Meyer said the boys are “very excited, because they weren’t sure in the current climate whether this opportunity would exist in the first place”.
“It’s been a tough time for the kids and just to get out and finally have an opportunity is really exciting for them.”
The program is set to run at Bendigo Stadium on November 13 where players are expected to impress.
Basketball Victoria general manager Grant Wallace said they are “excited to see athletes return to the court and be part of the 2021 Gold Nugget Camp”.
“We’re excited to get our Country stars back on court with the Gold Nugget Camp and help them reach for their biggest basketball ambitions.”
Of the 252 players, 60 players will be selected to progress to the Metro Country Challenge, set to be held in January 2022.
The challenge will be run in place of the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup (ACJBC) and Southern Cross Challenge (SCC), which were cancelled due to COVID-19.
“These camps form the foundation of future success at the Victorian and Australian level with plenty of Australian representatives such as Matthew Dellavedova and Tessa Lavey attending the camp to start their elite basketball careers,” Wallace said.
