Injured Giant shoots hoops at old school

Akira Marsters helps Ella Laugesen, 6, with her dunk during the fundraiser for his tour to the United States with the New Zealand U23 team. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 011113WCSMAKIRAMARSTERS1

Despite the beaming smiles of the youngsters at his former Carlton School as they lined up alongside him on their basketball court, Wanganui's Nelson Giant Akira Marsters had a nervous disposition yesterday afternoon.

And it was not any nerves about public speaking, but the fact he could not run up and down the court with the school children during his fundraiser to go to the United States in December, due to hobbling in on crutches after tearing a muscle in his leg on Thursday night.

Marsters, who has been selected to tour the States with the New Zealand U23 team, was injured in the opening five minutes of a local competition game, sitting the match out.

The 19-year-old was due to go to hospital yesterday afternoon to get checked out, having applied ice to the leg and keeping it elevated before honouring his commitment to the "Shoot-a-Hoop" competition at Carlton School.

"I don't want to miss this for the kids," he said.

Looking ahead to December, Marsters said it was not the first time he has had an injury like this, but hearing "clicks" in the ankle had him concerned.

He did say he hopes to make a quick recovery and return to Carlton on November 20 to have a full run with the pupils.

The pupils and staff had all paid coins to take on Marsters in a shooting competition.

In the end, their collective score was 63 goals, just behind his personal tally of 66.

"The junior coach had the chance to win it but she choked under pressure," Marsters smiled.

The school also held a sausage sizzle, with all the money being raised going towards the teenager's American trip, where he will also attend a try-out camp in Florida in the hopes of earning a basketball scholarship to a college over there.

Marsters and his family have a long history with Carlton as his mother and siblings also attended the school.

When speaking to the children he impressed upon them the importance of doing well in the classroom using his own story of travelling down to Nelson to try and earn a spot on the Giants roster while having to repeat his final year of high school to bring up his academic standards.

The New Zealand U23s are away from December 1-23.