Eight talented Victorians have been selected to participate in the Frank Ponta Cup hosted by Basketball Australia and set to commence in the nation’s capital from 16 -19 November.
The Frank Ponta Cup is an intensive four - day camp, followed by a two - day tournament. The program is designed to offer athletes the experience of an elite level training and competition.
In its thirteenth year, the Frank Ponta Cup stands as a tribute to Francis (Frank) Ettore Ponta, an Australian Paralympic icon, credited with expanding and developing wheelchair basketball in Western Australia.
Introduced in 2010 by Basketball Australia, this tournament has become a significant annual event in the wheelchair basketball world, honouring Ponta's legacy. The Frank Ponta Cup has seen the emergence of Australian Rollers Matt McShane, Luke Pople and Shawn Russell come through the doors within Australia’s renowned talent factory at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
The invite-only camp places a spotlight on emerging athletes, offering them a unique platform to refine and showcase their abilities, with the aim to catch the eye of coaches, harbouring the hope of being considered for the upcoming 2025 Under - 23 World Championships campaign.
Four - time Paralympian and Wollongong Roller Hawks captain, Brett Stibners OAM, who can now proudly add Head Coach of the Under-23 Australian Spinners to his resume.
Acknowledging the significance of the Frank Ponta Cup, Stibners intends to leverage this opportunity as he begins to lay the foundation to build a successful World Championship team.
“I’m excited to take on the role of Head Coach of the Spinners and begin to assess what level each of the players are at, as well as where we can develop talent and enhance individual strengths.
“The athletes need to get in as much competitive basketball as possible and we will be putting players through a variety of skills and stations so each athlete can take these skills back to their relative home base to continue growing in these core areas."
Congratulations to the following Victorians who have been selected for the Frank Ponta Cup:
Ethan Anderson
Mitchell Bond
Will Firth
Rhys Higgins
David Holligan
Aaron Jardim
Chithic Machar
Jack Thomas
Good luck to our athletes!
