Basketball: Asian trip tournament lure

New Plymouth Mountain Fresh's Aaron Bailey-Nowell searches for an opening at last year's HoopNation tournament. An NBL player, Bailey-Nowell was one of the strongest performers in 2013. This year, the best will be invited to play in Asia. PHOTO/FILE

Wanganui's three-day moneyed basketball tournament HoopNation will be offering a lot more than just a winner's cheque and a pat on the back for the best performing players next month.

Co-organiser Paul Berridge has announced a 10-man Invitational Tournament team to be announced at the end of event will travel to Kuala Lumpur in November to play in the Melaka International Basketball Championships.

The offer comes after Berridge and co-organiser KJ Allen arranged for Asian basketball agent David Chu to fly to Wanganui for last year's tournament, with assistance from the Wanganui District Council, while they themselves went back to Kuala Lumpur to promote HoopNation.

Berridge said while the format for November is still to be finalised, it will involve the New Zealand team against squads from Chinese Taipei, Macau, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

While the selected players will have to pay for their own return flights, plus any travel insurance or departure tax, the organisers will fit the bill for transfers, accommodation, meals and squad clothing.

Berridge said it will be a great chance for all talent, as the team may not just be chosen from the Pakaitore-Whanganui Men's Premier grade.

"It's an opportunity for anyone attending HoopNation to put forward an interest.

"If you take the best to Kuala Lumpur, you would wonder why not just take it from the Premier grade. But I think the Men's A division has a few up and comers ... we might need them where we're weak in a few positions."

From his time as a former player, Berridge remembered making various basketball tournament teams, but said it was just an honorary position.

"You'd get a certificate, a photo with some of the best talent going around, and that's your tournament.

"[This tour's] the first of its kind, apart from national tournaments in age grade when it's a New Zealand junior team. It's exciting.

"Getting the chance to go over there and represent HoopNation, against some of the top teams from Hong Kong and Singapore, it's going to be huge for us."

HoopNation entries closed last week with 34 teams confirmed, down on projections of 40 but an increase on the 30 that took part in 2013.

There will be three grades - Men's Premier, Men's A and Women's A.

Among the 330 registered players will be former and current Tall Blacks, NZ Breakers, and NBL stars.

The Junior Tall Blacks team is taking part as build-up for the world championships, with the squad named after the final training camp on October 9.

HoopNation will be held October 25-27, with the Invitational Team announced October 28.

Tournament players interested in Kuala Lumpur must register by October 24, with the tour taking place November 16-26.