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CB GROWS GLOBAL GAME WITH NATIONAL AGE GROUP TEAMS

Last Updated: February 04, 2010

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2009 AGE GROUP NATIONAL TEAM TRAINING ROSTERS

TORONTO - Canada Basketball announced 2009 schedule and training camp rosters for the six men�s and women�s age-group teams that will be competing in four zones around the globe this summer.

From National Championship MVP�s and All-Stars, to CIS All-Canadians and NCAA record holders, the teams feature the best young players ages 15-25 from across the nation, who will be preparing to compete in FISU and FIBA qualification and world championship events.

�Our country has fantastic young talent and this summer we have the opportunity to showcase six age-group teams on the world stage,� said Wayne Parrish, CEO and Executive Director for Canada Basketball. �We all know that basketball is a global game, and it is thriving right here in Canada. Our nation has such depth in our talent pool, particularly in the age-group categories. It will be exciting to watch as these young players grow and develop through the national team elite pathway.�

Cadet(te) National Teams
The youngest players will comprise the first ever Cadet(te) National Teams, representing the nation�s best under 16 years of age. Canada Basketball worked together with the provincial sport organizations to select Cadet(te) athletes from the Centre for Performance program, a regional training centre concept intended to identify and develop elite-level Canadian basketball players at a young age. A key component of Canada Basketball�s national player and coach identification and development strategy, top male and female players were chosen from each of the six sites across Canada -- B.C., Alberta, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic.

The talent includes 2008 U15 National Championship first team all-stars, David Wagner from Kamloops, B.C., Vanessa Pickard from Riverview, N.B.,and Ontario�s Karly Roser from the National Elite Development Academy (NEDA), as well as National Championship MVP Kevin Pangos from Holland Landing, Ont., and Nirra Fields from Lachine, Que.

The Cadet Teams� inaugural competition will be the FIBA Americas zone championships leading to the first-ever FIBA U17 World Championship in 2010. The FIBA Americas U16 World Championship Qualification Tournament for Men takes place June 17-21 in Mendoza, Argentina. Eight countries -- Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Venezuela and Mexico -- will take part, with the top three nations advancing to the first ever FIBA U17 World Championship next year. Canada is placed in Group B and will play its first three games against Mexico, the Bahamas and Argentina.

�It is a great honour to be leading this first Cadet group in to the FIBA Americas qualifier. I look forward to contributing in the development of the future of our national team program," said head coach Roy Rana. �Our goals for this group are many, but most importantly we want to represent Canada with great passion and qualify for the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship.�

On the Cadette women�s side, the FIBA Americas U16 World Championship Qualification Tournament for Women takes place Aug. 5-9 in Mexico City. Eight countries will compete, including Canada, the U.S., Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Likewise, the top three nations will advance to the FIBA U17 World Championship for Women next year.

Junior National Teams
2009 is an exciting year for both the Men�s and Women�s Junior National Teams as both will face the biggest competition on the FIBA schedule. After a strong performance at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championships (3rd place), the Junior Men�s National Team (JMNT) earned a place at the 2009 U19 FIBA World Championships taking place July 2�12 in Auckland, New Zealand, marking the second consecutive berth for Canada at the FIBA U19 World Championship.

The Junior Women�s National Team (JWNT) also came off a fantastic 2008 season, finishing second only to the U.S. at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women, thereby qualifying for the U19 FIBA World Championship for Women taking place July 23�Aug. 2 in Bangkok, Thailand. This will be the third consecutive time that Canada�s JWNT has qualified for the Junior World Championship for Women.

Both past members of the JMNT and JWNT teams and many current players in the National Elite Development Academy (NEDA) program have been invited to attend training camps. Athletes in NEDA, a high-performance centralized residential program, have access to comprehensive world class basketball education, including nutrition, mental training, balanced training schedules, and proper strength and conditioning techniques.

"We have tremendous motivation this year with the upcoming FIBA U19 World Championships in July,� said Greg Francis, Head Coach of the NEDA Boys' Team and the Junior National Men�s Team. �I am excited to prepare with this team that has been working hard over the past two years. We are focused on building our team chemistry to be successful at the worlds.�

A 6�6 Wing from Edmonton,, Mangisto Arop was an inaugural NEDA athlete and has excelled at the national and international level. He was recently awarded a full scholarship to attend the NCAA�s Gonzaga University (Spokane, Wash.) later this fall. Natalie Achonwa, a 6�2� forward from Guelph, Ont., is currently serving her second season with NEDA. A standout on Ontario�s gold medal U17 provincial team, she was also named the 2008 National Championship MVP.

In addition to the invited players, Canada Basketball will also be conducting open tryouts for junior teams, starting with the JMNT open tryout session on May 26 at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. The JWNT open tryout session is scheduled for June 5 at Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School in Ancaster, Ont. The deadline to register for JMNT is Friday, May 22 and for JWNT is Tuesday, June 2. Only athletes born on or after Jan. 1, 1990 are eligible and can register by contacting Jen Elliott at jelliott@basketball.ca.

Development National Teams
The development teams are comprised of athletes attending university, either in the CIS or NCAA. Every two years, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) hosts the World University Games. 2009 marks the 25th edition of the Summer Universiade, and both the Men�s and Women�s Development Teams will head to Belgrade, Serbia, July 1-12 to compete against the best in the world.

While the final rosters for both Development National Teams will be determined in June, Canada Basketball is working closely with the CIS and NCAA to select players from the national depth pool of eligible athletes. For the men, nine players have confirmed their participation on the team, including national team alum and 2008 CIS Player of the Year Aaron Doornekamp, a 6�6� forward from Carleton University. The remaining three spots will be filled in mid-June.

The ladies have a long list of 17 players, including sophomore forward Kalisha Keane from Michigan State. Keane, who in her first year set the record for most points scored as a freshman with 460 and was named MSU�s Co-Player of the Year, has played for Canada on the Junior and U21 teams. As she develops along the national elite pathway, she is sure to play an integral role on the team this summer.

Help Send Canada�s Youth on the Road to the Worlds
With our country fielding all of these talented athletes on four continents, Canada Basketball is encouraging the greater basketball community to get involved and support these teams on their road to the worlds. The Canadian Basketball Foundation, the registered charitable arm of Canada Basketball, is currently collecting donations to fund critical areas such as travel, meals, and training, and all contributions are 100 per cent eligible for tax receipts.

To make a donation, please visit www.canadahelps.org and enter �Canadian Basketball Foundation� or log on to www.basketball.ca and select �Donate Now.�

Please see the attached document for the most up to date training rosters of the Cadet(te), Junior and Development National Teams including players and team staff. For more information on Canada Basketball and the Canadian Basketball Foundation visit www.basketball.ca.

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