Basketball NI is excited to host the annual U17 Celtic Invitational this summer, with two action-packed days of elite youth international basketball set to take place at Newforge Sports Complex, Belfast on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of August.
This weekend follows a very successful U15 Invitational, where Team NI showcased impressive performances against top-level competition in Basketball Wales, setting the stage for another exciting showcase at the U17 level. Team NI will welcome Basketball Wales once again, alongside a strong Basketball Ireland U17 Men Academy team. The invitational promises to deliver a thrilling weekend of high-level competition, with some of the most exciting young talent from across the nations on show.
11.00AM: Ireland Academy M v Team NI M Select 1.00PM: Team NI M v Wales M 3.00PM: Team NI W v Wales W 5.00PM: Ireland Academy M v Wales M
Sunday 3rd August
9.00AM: Wales M v Ireland Academy M 11.00AM: Wales W v Team NI W 1.00PM: Wales M v Team NI M 3.30PM: Team NI M v Ireland Academy M
The Celtic Invitational continues to grow in stature each year, providing meaningful international opportunities for players to test themselves against top competition while representing Northern Ireland on home soil.
U17 Men’s Joint Head Coach and BNI Vice Chair Marc Mulholland said, “The Celtic Invitational is a brilliant opportunity for our players to represent Northern Ireland on home soil and test themselves against quality international opposition with Wales and Basketball Ireland. Our focus has been on building a strong team culture and preparing mindset of the group to perform with pride, discipline, and intent. Events like this are a vital step in our pathway, giving young athletes the chance to grow, compete, and take their game to the next level. This can’t be done without the dedication of the young men and their families who have been great support in helping us prepare for the upcoming Celtic Invitational.
We are additionally thankful for the support of Sport NI and National Lottery Funding with the Sports Systems Fund that helps us resource and build on these great opportunities for our young athletes.”
U17 Women’s Head Coach Paddy McGaharan commented, “The girls have put in a huge amount of work over the past number of weeks and I’m incredibly proud of how competitive the entire panel has been throughout our preparations. They’re a fantastic group – full of energy, eager to improve and hungry to represent Team NI with pride. I’ve no doubt they’ll showcase their talents, particularly their defensive tenacity next weekend. It would be brilliant to see as much support as possible for this talented younger generation of players.”
We encourage as many of our basketball community to come along to Newforge this weekend and support our young men and women.
We are currently seeking Table Officials to assist throughout the weekend. If you’re available to help, please complete the volunteer form here
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