NBA Announces Jr. NBA Global Championship

NBA Announces Jr. NBA Global Championship – Europe and Middle East Training Camp in Valencia

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the Jr. NBA Global Championship – Europe and Middle East Training Camp, a four-day training camp for the boys team and girls team that will represent Europe and the Middle East at the second annual Jr. NBA Global Championship, a global youth basketball tournament for the top 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls teams from around the world.  The camp will again take place from July 30 - Aug. 3 at the l'Alqueria del Basket training facility in Valencia, Spain.

Valencia Basket’s training facility features 13 basketball courts across the 15,000 m2 property, allowing both boys and girls teams to practice together for the first time, conduct team-building activities and prepare for the upcoming Global Championship, taking place Aug. 6-11 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. 

The 20 youth players representing 14 countries were chosen following a week-long selection camp in Bologna, Italy.  The selection camp featured 60 13- and 14-year-olds from 24 of the European and Middle Eastern countries where Jr. NBA programs currently operate.  Coaches Petar Marinkovic (Russia) and Robin Foniok (Czech Republic), and Teijo Sandvik (Finland) and Freddy Umbelina (Portugal) were selected to coach the boys and girls teams, respectively.

As with the Jr. NBA Global Championship Europe and Middle East Selection Camp in Bologna, Italy, Gatorade will also join as an associate partner in Valencia and provide hydration information and product to the participants.

In the inaugural event in Orlando last year, the Europe girls team won the international division to advance to the global championship game where they lost to the U.S. Central girls team.  The Europe boys reached the international semifinals where they were defeated by the tournament runner-up, Africa & Middle East.

The Jr. NBA Global Championship will feature boys and girls divisions, separated into U.S. and international brackets that begin with round-robin play and continue with single-elimination competition.  The winners of the U.S. and international brackets will play in the global championship games on Aug. 11. During the weeklong event, all 32 teams will participate in activities designed to reinforce the Jr. NBA’s core values and provide the players with development opportunities and memorable experiences off the court, including life skills sessions, Disney park visits and a community service project.

England have had two players selected to take part in the Championship.

Noah Myers from St Bonaventure’s  school who plays for Newham Youngblood's and Ines Goryanova from Barking Abbey School who also plays for Newham Youngblood's. 

Noah and Ines shared their thoughts about this opportunity.

Noah: 

“At first it didn’t sink in I couldn’t believe it when my teacher told me. Then everybody started cheering my name and saying go Noah! My teachers were really proud of me and happy to be the ones to tell me this amazing news. I was elated and didn’t know what to say and now I know I have a role to fulfill."

Ines:

"I feel very grateful for getting this opportunities and I have worked very hard to get here. I am extremely happy to be in the team and to compete from people from all around the world."

 *Final rosters subject to change