Apr 6, 2018, 12:37 pm
It is with immense pride the U16 boys' coaching team name the 12 young men that will represent Wales at the U16 FIBA European Championships Div C this July.
However before announcing the final squad, Head Coach Simon Fisher want to mention the 4 players that have been named as reserves:
"It was extremely tough to make a selection, which is credit to all of the players, so these young men deserve to be recognised. I know the selected players are thankful for how hard they've pushed them to achieve the levels they have, they will remain part of the 'family' and have our utmost respect".
The four reserves are:
Dylan Drew - Mold Magic
Benjamin Evans - Cardiff Met Archers
Charlie Molly - Mold Magic
Taliesin Remec - Swansea Storm
Simon went on to say:
"As a coaching team, we have selected a squad that combines a blend of experience, with young players making an impacting. The players come from 6 separate clubs, with the core coming from Vale Vipers, however Cardiff Met Archers, Cynfig Cougars, Pontypridd Panthers, Bristol Flyers and Manchester Magic are also represented.
The team will be jointly captained by returning players Ben Evans (Cynfig Cougars/Vale Vipers) and Luke Gordos (Manchester Magic) who have shown tremendous leadership over the camps and warm up games. I am extremely fortunate to be able to have both Nick O'Leary and Stefan Rosier as assistant coaches and Jon Bunyan as Team Manager. Coaching a national team is always an honour, I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to led this group to San Marino".
This is what it means to the two co-captains:
Manchester Magic player Luke Gordos said:
"Last year I had the opportunity to represent Wales at the European Championships and that was a huge honour. To be selected again this year and to now have the opportunity to co-captain with Ben Evans, what we believe is a strong, hard working team, is amazing and to work with coaches that push us to our max everyday is what makes the team have huge amounts of confidence in each other and we all have gelled together. We believe that we have a very good chance of doing well and we are excited to compete at a very high standard. We will make Wales proud".
Ben Evans, who playes for both Vale Viper and Cynfig Cougars added:
"To be able to say I have captained my country in a FIBA tournament is a great honour. I’ve been in the programme since a very young age and have always worn the welsh jersey with pride! I’m so excited to lead a great group of boys and show everyone what Wales can do".
Summing up the journey so far, Simon Fisher continued:
"We have embedded a family philosophy into the squad. The players, parents and clubs have all contributed to help us improve on and off the court, however we all recognise the journey hasn't ended, we have much work to do before we open the tournament against Malta, which is why we will continue to improve in all aspects to ensure we can represent Wales to the best of our ability. It's been a fantastic journey, but I can promise the Welsh Basketball Community it isn't finished yet".
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