The England Under 15 boys will be venturing to the French capital to take part in one of the highest-calibre junior tournaments in Europe, starting on Friday.
Head coach Chris Bourne and his team will put their talents to the ultimate test as they prepare to square off against Belgrade Select, Poland and French side Charenton St Maurice in the Lions Cup.
Meanwhile, the Under 15 Girls will be taking part in the Pauline Prior International Challenge in Nottingham as GB’s Under 16 side and Ireland’s U16 team will no doubt provide stiff competition for Head Coach Cristina Stanciuca’s young side.
Basketball England’s Talent Programme and Pathway Manager Charlie Ford said: “The upcoming tournaments in Nottingham and Paris are sure to provide a stern test for our teams, but the opportunity is also there for our coaches to watch all the players involved match up against some very good sides from across Europe. No doubt we’ll learn a lot, and have a better understanding of where we are in comparison to other nations going forward.”
This will be the sixth edition of the Lions Cup, which features past tournament participants include KK Spars Sarajevo, Sabonis Academy and Belgrade Select. The Lions Cup has also produced such players as potential 2019 NBA Draft selection Luka Šamanić and top French junior prospect Daniel Batcho.
Alongside the England U15, this year’s tournament will feature CB l’Hospitalet, JSF Nanterre, SKM Vilnius, KK Spars Sarajevo, the Poland national team, KSB Belgrade and Saint Charles Basket.
Alongside the highly competitive games, the tournament features an opening ceremony, skills competition and 3-point shootout and post-tournament presentation.
The tournament in Nottingham will form part of a preparation camp for Great Britain as they gear up to their European Championships in Bulgaria this summer. The schedule for the event is as follows:
Thursday 18th April
16:00 - England Vs Ireland
18:00 - GB vs Ireland
Friday 19th April
10:00 - GB vs England
12:00 - GB vs Ireland
Entry is £2 for adults and £1 for Under 16s and the tournament is being held at Nottingham Wildcats Arena, Greenwood Road, Nottingham, NG3 7EB.
To view the players selected for the tournaments, please use the button below:
