With both Australian teams having landed in Taipei ahead of the 2017 World University Games, the Emerging Opals and Boomers are now putting the finishing touches on their preparation before the tournament begins.
Held from August 20-29, the tournament reflects an Olympic atmosphere with as many as eight games played in a ten-day period while the athletes (who all must be studying) live in a village for the duration of the Games.
The Australian women’s team is an Under-23 side consisting of five players from American colleges joining seven athletes who are studying at home.
They recently competed in a pre-tournament warm-up against Japan, Canada and the USA and finished with a 2-1 record.
Having won the World Uni Games gold medal in 2007 and bronze medals in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2013, the Emerging Opals will be aiming for continued success after finishing fifth in 2015.
They have been drawn into Group D where they will face Russia (last year’s bronze medalists), Lithuania and Argentina in the pool stage.
Winners of the past four gold medals, the USA will also be competing at the tournament alongside Canada (2015 silver medallist) as well as perennial contenders China and Japan.
For the men, they have selected an Under-25 side with six US college athletes joining five players from home but a recent injury to Duop Reath means they will be competing with just 11 players.
The Emerging Boomers have only medaled once at the World Uni Games, in 2013 when they won silver with a team including future Olympians Cameron Bairstow and Ryan Broekhoff.
Australia have been drawn into Group D this year for the pool stage where they will take on Ukraine, Lithuania, Israel, Russia (2015’s bronze medalists) and Mozambique.
Their first hit-out was against Germany yesterday and they will take on Estonia and Argentina today before suiting up for their first game of the tournament on Sunday afternoon.
The schedule and stats from the World University Games can be found via the official website here.
Stay tuned to Basketball Australia’s social media channels for updates on results throughout the tournament.
The 2017 Emerging Opals Schedule (all times AEST):
August 21: Australia vs. Lithuania at 10pm
August 22: Australia vs. Argentina at 7.30pm
August 23: Australia vs. Russia at 2.30pm
August 25: Quarter-Finals
August 26: Semi-Finals
August 28: Bronze and Gold medal games
The 2017 Emerging Opals World University Games Team:
Brook, Chelsea
Clydesdale, Aimie
Froling, Keely
Garbin, Darcee
McKay, Megan
Panousis, Vanessa
Scherf, Lauren
Sharp, Alex
Turner, Carly
Wallace, Kristy
Wehrung, Abigail
Wilson, Alex
The 2017 Emerging Boomers Schedule (all times AEST):
August 20: Australia vs. Ukraine at 2.30pm
August 21: Australia vs. Lithuania at 5.00pm
August 23: Australia vs. Israel at 5.00pm
August 24: Australia vs. Russia at 2.30pm
August 25: Australia vs. Mozambique at 12.00pm
August 27: Quarter-Finals
August 28: Semi-Finals
August 29: Bronze and Gold medal games
The 2017 Emerging Opals World University Games Team:
Adnam, Kyle
Cooks, Xavier
Gorjok, Gak
Harrison, Tyrell
Kenyon, Matthew
Krebs, Tanner
McVeigh, Jack
Moller, Craig
Narr, Emmett
Vague, Rhys
Vasiljevic, Dejan
In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.