Three young Whanganui basketballers chosen for elite national training camp

Three of the U13 Whanganui rep basketball team, Carlos Hay-Martin (front right), Diamond Robertson-Hiri (back second from right) and Nehemiah Su'a (back fourth from right) have been invited to a national U14 training camp next April. Photo / Supplied

Three talented young Whanganui basketballers have been invited to train at the elite BBNZ U14 Camp in Rotorua next April.

Nehemiah Su'a (PNBHS) and Diamond Robertson-Hiri (Cullinane College) were selected last year for this year's camp, which was subsequently cancelled because of Covid-19.

However, they have been reinvited for the 2021 camp at Tui Ridge in Rotorua in April and Carlos Hay-Martin (Taihape Area School) has been added to the list from this region.

"All three made the Whanganui U13 rep team this year and have been picked for the camp in April," Whanganui U13 rep coach Ross Cronshaw said.

"This shows that playing for Whanganui has a pathway to national teams and tournaments too. The camps for boys and girls at separate venues in Rotorua each feature 80 of the top players in this age group, so it's an elite training camp to be invited to."

All three were part of the Cronshaw-coached Whanganui side to win the BBNZ U13 Central Regional Boys B Grade basketball championship in New Plymouth last October.

The side went through the competition unbeaten, topping their pool with a 99-30 thrashing of Taranaki Country, then dishing out an 85-63 semifinal beating to Hawke's Bay B.

That win put the Whanganui team into the final against Hutt Valley Green, who proved no obstacle. Whanganui won 64-52, in one of their closer encounters all week.