The Australian Under 19 women’s basketball team, the Gems, will depart Sydney this afternoon for a two week tour of Italy where they will play against the premier teams of Italy’s domestic basketball league for women, Serie A. The tour…
The Australian Under 19 women’s basketball team, the Gems, will depart Sydney this afternoon for a two week tour of Italy where they will play against the premier teams of Italy’s domestic basketball league for women, Serie A.
The tour is part of the Gems’ preparation for the 2007 FIBA world championship for Under 19 women to be held in the Slovak Republic from July 22 to August 7.
Ironically, the Gems toughest opponents on the tour may be Australian.
On March 7 the Gems will play La Spezia, whose star shooting guard is none other than Victoria’s world champion defencejobs Opal Belinda Snell.
After that the Gems will face Parma, with whom Newcastle’s world champion defencejobs Opal Jenni Screen plies her trade.
The following day the Gems will take a three hour drive to Schio to face the might of the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 World Championship for women, Victoria’s Penny Taylor.
“The team is very excited,” said Gems Manager Michele Menso, “but they’re a little bit nervous about playing those Opals in Italian teams.”
“After all, they’re the best in the world.”
“As for me, I can’t wait to see them. My luggage is weighing a fair bit with all the Australian stuff the Opals girls asked me to bring them from home.”
Gems Head Coach Dean Kinsman and the team will be available to the media at Sydney’s International Terminal (Qantas) at 3:00pm AEDT for one hour.
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