World Cup goes mini

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Mount Maunganui's ASB Arena is awash with the city's next generation of basketballers taking part in the 2015 Tauranga Basketball Miniball World Cup.

This year 46 teams from the Western Bay of Plenty will compete across the two divisions, Years 3&4 and Years 5&6. Proving as popular as ever, according to Tauranga City Basketball general manager Mark Rogers.


Pyes Pa Primary pupil Frank Bartle-McDonnell, 7, outrunning a Golden Sands player during the 2015 Tauranga Basketball Miniball World Cup. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

'This year we are up to 46 teams which is the maximum teams we can take. It usually sells out in a day and we have teams chasing us to get in.

'The idea of the day is to give the kids an experience of what a tournament is like.”

All teams play in Tauranga City Basketball's weekly miniball competition on a Monday or Friday. With about 150 teams registered it means spots for today's tournament are at a premium.

Sticking with the World Cup theme each team is allocated a nation from the FIBA world rankings and encouraged to promote their adopted country with plenty of colour.

Slightly modified, miniball sees the children play on half a basketball court with the basketball hoop set at its lowest level, seven foot.

Each team will play up to four 30 minute games with finals tipping off about 2pm.

Mark says while there will be plenty of hoop action the big aim is to give the children a chance to embrace the sport and a taste of its more competitive nature.

'It's more a taste of the next step in terms of playing in a tournament and what flows from this potentially to representative teams at higher age groups.

'We have been running it [miniball] for the last five years and we keep trying to find more space as the demand keeps growing.”

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