Category: Elite U14

First Junior Final Fours in books!

Not many people would believe after only the first-ever season in Premier competition, London Elite would break into the most prestigious junior competition in UK. Joining well-established basketball programs seemed like an impossible goal to have.

Hundreds hours of training, countless miles to the away games, tones of emotions, dozens of won games and our dream has come true. Our talented U14 and U18 squads have booked a place at a highly anticipated event in Manchester.

U18’s

Our oldest junior team went through really competitive Playoff rounds before reaching semi-final match-up vs London rivals CoLA. In the first round of the playoffs, our home venue Capital City was visited by Manchester Giants team which provided a tough match up for our boys. U18’s closed the game in great fashion and secured a quarter-final game vs Myerscough.

North England based squad is part of EABL academy and has plenty of talented players. Our quarterfinal game went back and forth with no side taking clear lead and overtime was needed to see any side claiming the win. Our u18’s supported by 200+ spectators achieved the unbelieve goal of winning a game by only 2 points behind perfectly executed play at the end of the game. A great pass by Omon Arifkhanov set Hunter Kelleher for an open 3. Hunter did not hesitate and Hunter did not let his team down. Perfect 3-point shot will be forever key highlight for our U18 campaign. The final fours ticket was booked in heroic circumstances.

Semifinal match-up saw our U18 squad face South London Rivals, City of London Academy. In a low scoring affair, it was our team that held nerves and claimed an important win which meant that Grand Final against Manchester Magic was set. With over 1000 spectators watching this clash live, it was obvious it is one of the most electric clashes possible. Top players, programs and coaches on display. Game started in our favour however hot handed host came back and controlled the game within 10 point lead though out 2nd and 3rd quarter however our London boys never gave up and fought bravely back bringing the game to 3 points difference with 3 mins on the clock. Despite a great fight, it was North England side that sealed the game and claimed the championship on that fantastic night in Manchester.

Our U18’s squad in first-ever Juniors Final Fours has claimed 2nd place. This was added on top of U18 National Cup won In January.  Head Coach Kieran Matthews said: “ Such a fantastic journey did not finish the way we wanted. However the final game was a testimony of what London Elite club has become. Even though we did not win the championship, our boys won National Cup and were Runner up in National League. They made the whole club proud.

Before the season started last August 2022, it was hard to imagine we would be one of the four top teams in the United Kingdom by April 2023.  Big congratulations to Hunter Kelleher for being named as an All Star 5 for the whole Final Four tournament!

U14 Head Coach Alek Blagoevski-Trazoff “Our U14 team had just gotten promoted from the Conference to the Premier Division in the summer of 2022 when I took over the reins. We were a part of the most competitive conference (SouthWest) and had the last year’s champions to compete with. However, we started the pre-season preparations ahead of time and we set the bar high in terms of the process goals we wanted to achieve. We also had a very talented group of kids to begin with, including U14 England national team member Kaya Birsen and Aspire program members Daniel Olusanya, Quentin McKelvey and Nicholas Ferrari.”

The team was fortunate to have an Aspire program member, a fantastic leader, Mamba mentality and your next CEO Ata Charles Refiogly join in the off-season, which was one of the critical pieces for our success. At that time, we formed the base of success for the next year, including internationals Alexander Milovidov and Omer Zardok Shemer. We were very fortunate to add key pieces later on during the season, including Berkay Adala and Niko Sagiryan. By the end of the season, I was referring to this team as the “UN team”, given that we had so many different nationalities on the team – players, parents and coaches.

The season was fairly long and gruelling. We faced many challenges.  Our conference did have some of the best players and coaches in the country, and they stepped up to the challenge as well. We had one overtime, one double overtime game, and one game where the refs left the game – all of them away!!! Particularly at the end of the season, we had several setbacks with injuries to key players and emotional rollercoaster games, which all took a toll on the team.

Frankly – all of those challenges made us come together as a family and a community and made the trip to the Junior Final Foul (JFF) a very much deserved reward for all the sacrifices and hard work.

This success would not have been possible without the generous support from the club, all the parents and players. In particular:

— Club Director and JFF Assistant Coach – Daniel Szatkowski — thank you for the amazing opportunity to be the Head Coach this year!

— my assistant coach Miguel McKelvey — thank you for disagreeing with me so often. It made me a much better coach! You know I appreciated it then and will forever remember them. I am sure there were many other ways in which you supported the club, for which I am also very grateful!

— Onur Birsen — parent, recruiter and website master extraordinaire — your overall efforts with recruitment and thoughtful comments on strategy were an indispensable part of the success!

— Charlie and Kate Addison – all the video and statistical analysis made the coaching work so much more focused!

— Nadia Refioglu – for trusting me as a coach and supporting Ata so much, including driving an untold number of miles and being stuck in traffic in the last 8 months…

“Even though we ended the season in fourth place in the JFF after losses in two very close games, this season has been nothing short of phenomenal, given this was the London Elite U14 Boys Premier first time competing at this level. Almost half the team who went to the event this year is coming back next year, and they experienced the incredible intensity and energy in Manchester! They all know the amount of work and dedication required to succeed at the highest level.”

“With an amazing selection of new talented kids who have already indicated they are joining the team and a great new Head Coach, I have no doubt they will be very competitive next season as well. I am certain the team will be back even stronger and better prepared for a Junior Final Four run in April 2024. Watch this space…”

Big congratulations to Daniel Olusanya for making tournament All Star 5!


As they say in the Foreign Service – this is not a goodbye, but a “see you soon”…

3 DAYS, 4 COUNTRIES, 23 GAMES – 1 CLUB.

Yes, you read it right – on the weekend of 4th – 5th February, London Elite Basketball Club played 23 games across 4 different countries.

Our recent Sure Shoot U18 National Cup victory is still fresh in the mind, but for the players and coaches there has been little time to celebrate. With the National League season in full swing and preparation for the Play-Offs underway, the hard work never stops!

The Club is always seeking unique opportunities for our players’ development, and this season we entered Teams in four different age groups to the prestigious European Youth Basketball League (EYBL). The EYBL includes 175+ Teams, allowing our players to test themselves against the best young talent in Europe.  Teams are required to travel twice each season and for the first time, we embarked on three separate European trips in the same weekend:

Our U13 Team flew to the Hungarian capital of Budapest looking to build on their EYBL Stage 1 performances (2-2 record, with Quentin McKelvey voted into the All-Star 5). They didn’t disappoint, achieving an improved 3-1 record that included a fairy-tale win against previously undefeated Serbian club, KK Borac Zemun. Despite being down by 17 points in the game, our boys fought back to secure an important 79-77 victory. Special congratulations to Omer Zardok-Shemer (awarded Team MVP), and Quentin McKelvey (averaged 26.8 points per game, and once again voted to the All Star 5).

Our U17 squad flew to the small town of Ploesti in Romania, where they sought to banish memories of EYBL Stage 1 (1-3 record).

 Our squad looked strong with Star Point Guard Connor James continuing his great EYBL season (24.4 points per game, 2nd overall in EYBL), and the valuable addition of Sebastien Emanelo (22 points per game, 5th overall in EYBL).

Despite tough opening games, the boys fought back to finish Stage 2 with a hard-fought win over Inter Bratislava. Congratulations to Connor and Sebastien who were awarded joint Team MVP.

Our U20 squad (Elite’s oldest Junior Team) headed to the historical town of Levice in Slovakia. Led by coach Kelson, the Team had a point to prove in the EYBL, one of Europe’s most hotly contested U20 competitions.

The tournament started with marginal losses to Orange Lions Academy of Amsterdam and host team SBKL Junior Levice, but our boys showed real resilience to claim back-to-back wins on day 2 and finish with a respectable 2-2 record.

Congratulations to Muddathir Bashir who recorded 10.8 points/8.8 rebounds per game and was voted Team MVP.

Back home our National League season is gathering pace and we are grateful to those coaches who did not travel – they had the tough task of covering multiple fixtures across all of our age groups. 

This weekend represented a true milestone in London Elite’s history, demonstrating the huge growth we have achieved since our inception in 2019. Thank you to our London Elite Family – Coaches, players and parents who all played their part in making this momentous weekend happen!

Bev Guymon Memorial

Weekend 25/25 of June saw the first-ever Bev Guymon Memorial Tournament take place at the Solent Sports Complex, as Boys and Girls teams at the Under 12 and Under 14 age groups get set to compete. Bev, a legend of the game in the region, was always extremely passionate about providing experiences for young basketball players to compete and most importantly be involved in the game we all love so much. Bev has founded Solent Kestrels club and all her work for the club over the last 20 years was as a volunteer, using much of her own money and time to provide opportunities for young people in our region. Bev Guymon has passed away in 1998 after battling pancreatic cancer for a few years. She was 55. Solent Kestrels she started, is now multiple Division 1 men’s champions.

Day 1 saw our U12 boys take part in this great tournament. Group stage saw our boys face Bracknell Cobras, Portsmouth Basketball club and the very competitive Milton Keynes team.

Our boys started the tournament with a commanding win over Bracknell Cobras in the morning behind an all-around team effort. 2nd game of the tournament proved to most competitive as Milton Keynes team showed great athleticism which caused our boys multiple problems on defence. But led by Quentin and Nicholas our boys prevailed with 4 point win. Having closed the group with 3rd win of the day over south cost club Portsmouth, our boys awaited a final against the second Milton Keynes team. Our talented group played really focus and executed the game plan and secured the first-ever Bev Guymon trophy ever! Quentin McKelvey has been voted MVP of the tournament behind his 31 points performance in the final.

On the second day of the tournament, it was our U14 boy’s team travelling to Southampton to participate in the tournament. Our team that has recently been promoted to the U14 Premier competition, did not take this tournament lightly. Boys stormed through the group stage and awaited a final where we met again with the Milton Keynes program. Coach Daniel’s troops started the game with full-court press which caught the opposition off guard. Good start of the game set the tone for the rest of the match up and our boys collected their trophy while Sam Scott received well-deserved MVP award! Watch the highlights below:

This inaugural memorial tournament was a raising donation for Liver and Pancreatic R&D Cancer charity. With over £3.5K raised, it was truly a win-win situation for whole basketball community!

Coach Daniel said:”In my opinion for Bball in the UK to grow bigger, we have to change our approach to grassroots. Bev Guymon tournament just showed what is missing in our country. Events for the youngest in a friendly and competitive environment. I am truly impressed with what the organisers did. Truly hats off to all Solent club!”

National League season recap

Long awaited, Elite’s first National League season has come to the end. It is truly hard to believe this was a premiere season for us. The whole program success stands as a testimony that the hard work at club foundations pays off. Freezing period during lockdown, gave us time to create strategy how to approach season 21/22 in a best possible way. Along with excitement which was high since , multiple teams were heading towards their first ever season at national league level we coudln’t await the moment of start. Few months later , we come out of very successful Summer 2021 where we collected RBL and CBL championship titles!

U12 Review: Unbelievable Journey.

September 21′ brought lots of questions for our youngest members . Most of players from last year have moved up to U14, some moved from the west London area. This made us think if we should push with the project or simply pull out of National league. At times with less then 5 players in training, it became a challenge and test for us as an organisation. Now looking back we can say that It would have been a massive mistake to pull this team out of NL . Our youngest squad Led by Quinton McKelvey picked couple very talented players on the way and finished 2nd place in league! Journey and testimony for all players and parents involved was indescribable. Currently the future is bright!

Highlights of the year: 2OT win vs Talented Kingston Lions team.https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaM9E0lpAp8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

U14 review: Goals Achieved!

As previously, the stem of the team results lays in our talented players led by young guard Kaya Birsen. Yet again Kaya didn’t disappoint the U14 Elite fans and brought us joy and plenty of great memories with his amazing game. The journey of our young players’ development leads to one conclusion; the coaching and quality structure which London elite offers is the root for our success. Upcoming talents Sam Scott and Aron Okenge will be players to look out for in near future. Our U14 NBL team finished season with record 14-2, claimed the South IV conference championship title and secured a promotion to Premier level of competition next year!

Check out highlights from a key victory this season:(22) London United vs London Elite (NBL U14 Boys 2021/22 Game 2 Highlights) – YouTube

U16I Review: Mission Completed.

After very successful recruiting summer 21′. Our expectations grew big on our upcoming u16 squad. It did not take us long to enter this talented squad into prestigious EYBL. Season started with multiple wins Coach Mauro DiNunzio had lots to look forward to. His troops improved with each week of fixtures and claimed South II conference title behind fantastic 19-1 record! After regular season was finished, Our boys entered promotion play offs where in first round we faced Milton Keynes. Convincing win (79-54) came behind great defensive performance, our squad sealed final where We faced Woking Blackhawks away. As it was last game of the season, our boys came out firing and claimed a Promotion to Western Premier competition with convincing 106-78 victory!

U16II review: Purpose Fulfilled

With numbers constantly going up, we had more then 12 players showing talent good enough for playing at NL level. With placement of U16II into NL, we have invested resources and time which was very beneficial investment for our club . The evident progress made by our team which was mainly year 10 players was really impressive. Team members proved that they deserve to be on A team in upcoming season. Hard work from coach Kieran resulted in team coming to nearly 500 record as they ended up 8-12 in whole campaign! Well done!

U18I Review: Bright Future

After successful summer 21 and securing multiple players with scholarships in USA, We knew that upcoming season will be a tough test. With 90% squad being in first year it suppose to be a learning curve. But it was more then that. Our talented troops led by Oskar Striuga, Anthony Wilson and David Jesubayode, have proven that they are capable of beating any team in their league. Our team came 2nd out 10 and have proven to be a force to look out to in coming season. Eligible players from that squad formed our U17 EYBL team which was capable of sweeping stage in Romania. We can clearly see that right foundation have been laid for next 12 months.

U18II Review: Progress Made.

Do not sleep on this team. Formed with multiple talented U17 players, with whom many travelled with our U17’s team across Europe. It was a big headache in offseason how to classify which player goes to A or B. But we are glad that many players who started off on our second team are now considered strong candidates for our first team in upcoming season. great work by coach Daniel and coach Kieran.

Men’s Review: Undefeated Squad.

There was only one goal for this team. Knowing how much talent, experience and skills we have acquired in last summer, goal could be one. Winning our division 3 league. And team led by coach Sam Stiller did it in perfect way. Going undefeated in whole season shows that there is pure potential is in our men’s section. But best part of it: it is just a beginning! Look out for exciting news coming up in this summer!

Our GM Daniel Szatkowski said: “First ever National League season was a true accomplishment for our program. We have achieved what we set out as a goal. Promotion of 3 out of 4 teams is remarkable achievement. We still have to remember that despite high ambitious, this was our first ever NL campaign. With more fantastic excitement coming to our home, Capital City Academy, we can say one thing. Season 22/23 cannot come any sooner!”

London Elite Welcomes Support of Leading Global Tech Company Datasite

London Elite, a basketball club focused on developing London’s young sporting talent, is delighted to announce its sponsorship by global technology company, Datasite, a leading SaaS provider for the M&A industry.

Datasite regularly supports initiatives that help bring about greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in its own business and industry. The company is a visionary sponsor of Exponent Women, an industry organization that is dedicated to giving women dealmakers access to meaningful interactions and educational content. Datasite helps educate and inspire the next generation by enabling its leaders to speak with students at institutions like NYIT in Manhattan and the AFAS in Minneapolis, about technology careers.

Merlin Piscitelli, Chief Revenue Officer for Datasite in Europe, the Middle East and Africa said:

“We at Datasite are passionate about supporting the communities where we live and work and London Elite is an excellent example of a programme that is making a difference in the lives of young adults. Sports equip young people with key skills, like leadership, collaboration, dedication, and camaraderie, that will be crucial to their future success and can open up new avenues of opportunity that might not have been previously available.”

Our Director, Daniel Szatkowski said: “We thank Datasite for its generous support, which will give our kids opportunities both on and off the court, including a chance to compete, gain confidence and skills they can use the rest of their lives. Basketball has the power to change lives and Datasite’s contributions will help our kids understand the importance of hard work and achieving goals. Sports is a great unifier, motivator, and leveler.”

to learn more about Datasite, please visit: www.datasite.com

We will regularly update you on project we run together. There will be real impact on our local community. Exciting times ahead!

2020 Review

2020 is the year to be remembered. We look back in what happened in previous calendar year. Our club has grown in strength despite all obstacles we faced.

SEASON 19/20

Season 19/20 was cut short due to lockdown being imposed however we look back to our EYBL experience keeping our heads high. In first year of entering club performed on great level against top European competition.

It led to some of our players receiving individual awards of prestigious All Star 5 of tournaments. Aaron Pyne and Israel Olalekan shined at U17 level while Matthew Disu collected this award for his great performance at U20 level. Head Coach Daniel Szatkowski said: “It is shame we never got to finish U17’s season but overall experience showed we belonged to that high level of basketball and can perform against great clubs”

Our Club always priorities development as a key for success. In season 19/20 our talented U12 squad was crowned champions of CBL Division 1! This is outstanding achievement bearing in mind how competitive the league was. Boys showed amazing commitment and heart for the game. This successful campaign would not be possible without impact that our young guard Kaya Birsen had on a team. On many occasions Kaya led our team and earned himself a MVP of the league title. We cannot miss the fact that our top scorer Anton Safin was named to All Star 5 of the league. Well done!

PREPERATION FOR SEASON 20/21

We could not achieve our goals if it was not for our partners. We are fully delighted that from season 20/21 we have taken our partnership with London School of Basketball to whole new level. It creates unique combination and helps London players to take their game to next level while studying at Capital City Academy.

London Elite has entered 8 teams into national league, and 9 teams into CBL for upcoming season 20/21. It is linked to heavy increase of members in our club. It is worth to mention that heading into 2020 year we had 80 members while by Christmas 2020 time this number was 140!

Our European campaign not only continues, but has been expanded by adding U16 boys and U18 Girls. It gives 4 squads an opportunity to take part in European league in season 20/21! We are proud to say that we have made history as first British team to enter European Girls Basketball league. Head Coach William Twigg said: “Great opportunities for girls and women in our sport right now. I believe London Elite will optimise every experience for them in the EGBL and other leagues at U18s international level”

It was always obvious for us that we cannot be sure on when domestic leagues will start. However we focused on things we can control. We organised and played 30 friendly games between August and Christmas. It provided great replacement for lack of leagues that are delayed till at least March/April 2021.

Shortly before Christmas we have opened our clubs merchandise shop which provides all sort of clothing accessories at affordable level. It is another step club is taking towards bright future, but also a gives a way of direct support of club to stay afloat during current uncertain times .

WHATS NEXT?

Our Head Coach Daniel Szatkowski said:” 2020 was a year of growth for us. Lockdowns imposed on UK did not help at all however we prevailed despite obstacles. We are currently in another lockdown which is frustrating. However I am sure and confident that determination of coaches, parents and players will not only allow us to pull through these times, but we will come out of it stronger. You will see in 2021 what London Elite is. New competitions added, new equipment, new pathways to America and Europe. New coaches and even more fun in this basketball journey”

Stars on the rise…

With the end of season 19/20 we have finally time to reflect on progress and achievements London Elite u14 team.  We find it very remarkable what our kids have been able to accomplish. Club which was just launched last summer , still in development stage and many unanswered questions was accepted into its first competitive season. Our team jumped into deep waters with straight placement into Division 1 of CBL.Our young squad quickly established themselves in top of the league winning against teams from across the capital. Coach Matt reflected over the season:

“In the season opener a tentative London Elite Under 14’s seemed to enjoyed the environment and occasion but found it hard playing the emphasized tough defence and teamwork. Roll on some two or so months and you would not have recognized that young excited fresh faced team. An Xmas tournament grew and matured the this team, friendship forged through hard fought games, silence replaced with laughter and hardwork. The team finish with an amazing 4 – 2 but if they this season had ever continued as a group they knew they was going to do something special. An amazing learning experience for me as a coach and definite for the players. Roll on next season – same again please!”

As season went by, some of our individuals improved massively. Likes of fiercy guards J.Midha (season MVP) and I.Manderson (coaches best) enjoyed guidance of experience coach in Matt Williams. With another amazing opportunity to play abroad at Coca Cola tournament in Belgium, we witnessed amazing journey of boys development to their potential with raising confidence, putting forth their best efforts to fight for the win . This experience will definitely help them to continue marching into their dream basketball pathway.

London Elite U14’s team might have finished first season with high hopes however, our coaching work behind the scenes is still active . All of our coach team proactively use this time to develop , progress and bond so when the season comes we are prepare to fight with determination to keep the basketball coaching up to the best standards for all our kids.

In season 20/21 London Elite will play in Div 1 CBL alongside playing National league with home court venue still being Alec Reed Academy! With likes of George Coultas-Pitman (Most improved) and Christopher Abdelmasih will lead our young squads under coach Matt Williams.

Additionally, our U14 squad will take part in International tournament planned in June 2021 in beautiful town of Wimereux in Northern France. This will provide extra international experience which is one of biggest goals at London Elite Basketball Club.

Should you express an interest in this kind of opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact coach Matt on 07961 606483 or  [email protected]b. We run regularly outdoor sessions you can join in and try out so do not miss this amazing opportunity!

What a start of 2020 for our players!

As our club has entered new calendar year with great trip to Xmas tournament in Belgium, we did not forget how important it is to compete in all our regular competitions. Every player across London Elite is improving significantly, furthermore few of our boys earned special individual awards in January 2020.

Aaron Pyne has joined our program in summer 2019 and from day one showed good ability to perform at highest possible level. As he is our main point guard, he shows no fear towards top competition in Europe leading our U17’s team in EYBL competition. Aaron earned very prestigious All Star 5 tournament which is given to best players of whole stage!

Our teams compete in London School of Basketball league which has grown into one of most competitive leagues in country. Our U12’s and U14’s show on regular bases that our program is one of most competitive in whole country. But this success would not be possible without individual performances of our players.

Jaidan Midha has been outstanding throughout whole season and Belgium tournament gave him additional boost of confidence which Jaidan used in LSB U14 age category, leading our side to improve our record to 4-1!

Jaidan recorded unbelievable 56 points on day in 2 games. He scored 32 points against Westside and followed with 24 against Greenwich Admirals.His shooting ability is very much needed for our team! He truly deserved player of the month January in U14 London Premier League!

Our U14’s Head Coach Matt Williams said: “It’s been a absolute pleasure coaching a future 5 star player, hard working, resilient, calm under pressure and mature above his years. His commitment and work ethic puts him a great place for his basketball future”

As our U12 team is marching to claim first place after regular season, it has been noticed that our results would not be possible without our fiercy guard, Kaya Birsen. Despite being still U11 he shows no fear against older competition. Kaya shows lots of potential in basketball. In months ahead, this is exactly what our team needs!#

Our own Myles Davendra had a great start of the year in both, on and off the court. After returning from Xmas tournament in Belgium he proved that he is not only one of most improving players across our U12 team but represents pour club in excellent way at his school! We are really proud to say Myles Represent club excellent not only while playing, but he earn very prestigious golden medal at Ealing Schools Challenge Quest where he delivered great presentation called “Eat, Sleep…play basketball”. It is our pride to say that Myles met coach Daniel at his primary school sessions when he was 8 years old. What a journey Myles has had so far! He played his first international tournament in December, he competes on our first U12 team and what is most exciting… there is more to come!

Aquarius Xmas tournament 2019

On 26th december 2019 three of our squads boarded on beautiful 57 seater coach from Dhillon of London to head across the channel to compete in one of biggest youth tournaments which attracts teams from across the globe. This year edition saw over 2500 players compete on 14 different venues.

Three of our squads played 5 games each over 3 days in city of Kortrijk, Belgium.

U12 team won 2 out of 5 games and finished on very good 11th position out of 42 teams. Team was led by fiercy guard Kaya Birsen supported by Christopher Sagun, Ethan Arroyo and Justin Balaba. Most of our boys were still U11 and this tournament came as unbelievable experience. Coach Daniel said: “I still can’t believe what kind of progress boys made throughout of this tournament. Boys came back to London as different players and enhanced greatly the team. I could not imagine better opportunity for boys then this experience.”

U12 truly enjoyed their first international tournament

“Certain players never played at international stage, likes of Myles Davendra, Elfatih Hassan or Jamie Bernadine will definitely build on this experience in coming years. I am really proud of their effort and progress they made throughout this tournament” continues coach Daniel.

U14’s squad was probably the most improved team across all 3 age groups despite winning only 1 game at end of the tournament. Progress made was visible with each game boys played. Isaiah Manderson and Jaidan Midha were 2 among our u14 who returned to London with their head up, collecting much needed experience. Coach Matt said: This Belgium adventure was the under 14’s and some individuals 1st ever European and full 40 min game play. I can’t be more proud of a team that has improved with every game. They picked themselves up and pushed themselves each game striving for improvement.

“London Elite is here to help improve individuals and communities through inclusion in sports – “we don’t have to win games to be a winning club with a winning inclusive culture for all“

As oldest team that travelled to Belgium, U16 squad went on their first ever International trip, knowing it will be difficult task ahead. However led by Antony Atakpu and fiercy guards of Alex Wildish and Nezelle Soberano, boys started tournament high with 57-54 win secured by late 3 by N.Soberano. Even other games turned to be a learning curve, boys finished on high with 7 point win in last game to head back London with 2 wins out of 5. Head Coach Mauro Di Nunzio said:”The tournament has been an outstanding possibility for the kids to play in a new dimension for them in which the level of physicality, tactical and technical skills was important . We learned from wins and defeats and we brought back a lot of experience back to London. Antony Atakpu was crucial throughout all the tournament for his ability to block the offensive shot in the area and in the last game he brought the intensity up scoring important baskets on a run in the 4th quarter”

What is really important, this trip would not be such a success if it was not a help from our brilliant parents. Over 10 parents went with teams to support teams in action. We are truly appreciating this kind of support!

Little documentary video from trip is coming, gallery is already on but what most important… we left as teams but came back as great club!