Australia Select Team Set For Shanghai

Following their gold medal victory at the recent Under-18 Foot Locker National Championships, Basketball Victoria will field a team to represent Australia at the upcoming Shanghai Sharks Future Star Basketball Championship.  

A 12-man line-up will head to the vibrant cultural hub to compete against top talent from around the globe, including teams from Japan, Serbia, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, and host nation China.  

Kicking off with their inaugural event in 2023, the Shanghai Sharks united the six countries with the goal of creating global connections through basketball.   

Basketball Victoria’s General Manager High Performance  and Head Coach Grant Wallace said that any opportunity for international competition is going to benefit the success of the Victorian program moving forward.  

“From a Victorian viewpoint, we want to try and give the athletes the best opportunity to make a national team. We obviously need to go through Asia to get to the World Championships, so if we can get our athletes as much experience as they can playing in Asian countries and the like, it puts them in a better place for national selection.  

"This opportunity is invaluable," Wallace continued. "I've led teams to Taiwan and Japan before, and these experiences are fantastic for the boys, both on and off the court, enriching them culturally and personally." 

"This group is athletic and cohesive, having played together in our state development program. Our preparations will ramp up in July and we just want to be the best representatives of Australia that we can be.” 

In an effort to enhance the development of Australian athletes, Basketball Australia’s Executive General Manager of High Performance and National Teams Jason Smith emphasised the importance of providing international opportunities and building global relationships through basketball.  

“This will be an incredibly valuable experience for these athletes, and I look forward to seeing the results of greater collaboration between China and Australia as together we provide our teams with international games.” 

The Shanghai Future Star Basketball Championship will be held from 6th – 11th August in Shanghai, China. The travelling party will be a 16-person delegation led by Head Coach and Basketball Victoria’s GM-High Performance Grant Wallace.