It was a historic weekend for London Elite as our U12 team returned to National League competition for the first time in three years — and they did so in style, opening the season with a strong win over West London rivals, London Warriors.
London Elite first opened its doors in 2019, quickly establishing itself as a powerhouse at the U12 level. The program’s early success came through a super-strong squad featuring standout talents such as Anton and Tomas Saffin, Ethan Arroyo, and Kaya Birsen.
In the club’s first-ever game, the young Elite squad faced the previously unbeaten American team, Zoo Crew. After an exciting contest, our side came out on top — a result that set the tone for the London Elite program in the years to come.
Several players from that original team, including Anton and Kaya, have continued their development within the Elite pathway. Both recently represented the UK50 squad, which made headlines after defeating China U16 in the Future Stars International Tournament Final in Shanghai — a proud moment for our club and its grassroots foundation.
Today, Kaya Birsen has committed to Northfield Mount Hermon School (USA), continuing his journey at one of America’s top basketball and academic institutions. Meanwhile, Anton Saffin is continuing his development at Riviera Prep in Miami, further showcasing the strength of the London Elite pathway and its ability to prepare players for international success.
In the following season, London Elite’s second U12 generation — featuring Q. McKelvey and N. Ferrari — continued the success of the previous year. Led by Quinton, who averaged nearly 40 points per game, our squad once again won the U12 league and competed successfully in the Summer Showcase, our first major tournament organized by London Elite. Quinton is now attending Seward School in New York, while N. Ferrari continues his basketball journey at DME Wisconsin.
After a temporary dip in numbers and a three-year pause in the U12 age group, the program was reignited last spring when Coach Daniel and Coach Kieran began rebuilding the youth pathway through a strong U10 initiative. That movement has now flourished into a new U12 unit, marking the club’s full return to competitive youth basketball.
Under the guidance of Coach Imahni, whose energy and knowledge have inspired the players, the U12s made an immediate impact with a convincing opening win over London Warriors. He is a great addition to our program and we can’t wait to see what future brings!
Meanwhile, the U10 program continues to grow from strength to strength, with a dedicated group of young players attending regular training sessions and showing exciting potential for the club’s future.
Now, new talents such as Preston, Yotam, and Jackson have entered the same development pathway as Kaya and Anton or Quinton once did — proving that history has a way of repeating itself within the London Elite family.
With momentum building once again, the future of London Elite basketball looks brighter than ever. 🌟
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