200 Volunteers Gather For Basketball World Champs At North Harbour

Around 200 volunteers will gather for briefing at the North Shore Events Centre on Monday 15 June to be part of basketball’s 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men.

The volunteers will be taken through their numerous roles in what will be one of the biggest sporting events in New Zealand in 2009.

Sixteen nations including the United States, Argentina, Australia, Kazakhstan, Angola, Spain, Croatia, Iran and France will be taking part in the tournament which will see many players get picked up by the around 100 player scouts for the NBA and other competitions who are expected to attend the tournament.

Volunteers for the FIBA U19 World Championship will be the face of the event as someone spectators and players see at the venue through to being a driver for the tournament, media assistants, scorers, team liaisons and other roles as well as being around some of the most talented basketball players ever seen in New Zealand.

Talking to the volunteers who range from ages 11 to late 60’s on the night will be North Shore Mayor, Andrew Williams. Monday is also the start of Volunteer Awareness Week around New Zealand.

The ninth FIBA U19 World Championship for Men will be held at the North Shore Events Centre and ASB Stadium, Kohimarama. It is the third largest basketball event in the world - only the FIBA Men’s and Women’s World Championships are larger.

Around the globe the event is recognised as the breeding ground for future global basketball stars with many of today’s well known players such as Vince Carter (United States), Luis Scola (Argentina), Pau Gasol (Spain), Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and Australian Andrew Bogut having played in previous tournaments, showing all their skills and passion from an early age.

It is the first time New Zealand has hosted a Basketball World Championship and also the first time it has been held in the Southern Hemisphere. The Junior Tall Blacks (New Zealand U19 men’s team)will be competing at the FIBA U19 World Championship for the first time

Live television coverage of three matches per day plus all New Zealand games and the quarters, semis and finals has been scheduled for Sky Television.

Local supporters of the event are Auckland City Council, North Shore City Council, Major Events New Zealand, SPARC, Tourism Auckland. Sky City Hotels is the official accommodation.