Six junior Whangarei basketballers are heading to Sydney after their selection in the New Zealand Development Basketball Pacific Under-17 squad. Corey Te Tai, Hayden Bird, Madyson Kaka, Joshua Martinic, Ethan Penney and Harlyn Clunie were chosen, after trials in August, to represent New Zealand's North Island at two tournaments in Australia. Twounder-17 boys' teams, one made up of North Island players and one of South Island-based players, are contesting the tournaments, where they will play state teams across the ditch. Joining those teams from NZ will be two under-15 boys' sides and two under-17 and two under-15 girls' teams. The teams' first stop is Sydney, on January 13, for a three-day tournament, followed by a four-day tournament at Port Macquarie in New South Wales, from January 16. To get six boys from Whangarei in the squad was a rare achievement, Basketball NZ and Northland coach/player development officer Mata Cameron said. Cameron trained under-17 coach Brian Te Tai, who has coached the boys from Whangarei since they were selected. Other players in the North Island under-17 team stem from Massey, Waikato and the Hibiscus Coast.
