High hopes for Aussie ballers
FIVE strong teams will don the green and gold on the basketball courts at the 19th Maccabiah Games, with two junior and two open sides, as well as a masters team making the trip to the Holy Land.
FIVE strong teams will don the green and gold on the basketball courts at the 19th Maccabiah Games, with two junior and two open sides, as well as a masters team making the trip to the Holy Land.
The open men’s will be led by Melbourne-based Maccabi Warriors coach Andrew Solewicz, who guided the youth boys team to bronze in 2009. Solewicz will take an all-Victorian group across including the majority of his Warriors side, headed by gun point guard Benji Tamir and talls Dean Rzechta and Jeremy Dukes.
“We’re on the tough side of the draw with the US, Argentina, Germany and Russia,” Solewicz said.
“But you’re not sure what you’ll get with the other nations and we’ll do our best to match up to them.”
Nathan Arousi will take charge of the open women’s side, which will have the tough task of taking on the US, Canada and Israel in a four-team competition.
Seven Victorian players, two from NSW and one from the ACT will make up the squad of 10, including sisters Emma and Lucy Butler, Stephanie Perch and veteran Kate Perlstein.
“We’re a young group that plays up-tempo and it’s a good mix of players who have state league level experience, which gives us a bit of class,” Arousi said.
The junior sides will look to continue their good form from the recent Queen’s Birthday tournament.
The boys will be under the guidance of Daniel Sherr, who believes they could make the semifinals, and features point guard and skipper Guy Vadas, big centre Aaron Blumberg, small forward Josh Garkawe and shooting guard Gregg Osrin.
Melbourne Tigers legend Warrick Giddey thinks the junior girls side could also vie for a medal, with the young guns already showing dramatic improvement.
Asha and Gabby Mendel, Annabel Geminder and Shahla Marabel-Whitburn will lead the side.
Maccabi stalwart Richard Smart will coach and play in the masters over-45 men’s team, with the assistance of two-time NBA all-star and champion Norm Nixon.
Ashley Shenker
Photo: Peter Haskin
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