Mid West Academy of Sport boss to manage Australia’s under-17s FIBA World Cup squad

Australia’s under-17s FIBA World Cup squad will have a Mid West flavour for the tournament beginning later this month in Turkiye. Darren Winterbine will be the team manager for this age group for the third year in a row, having been part of the under-15s Oceania tournament and the under-16s Asia Cup over the past couple of years. Winterbine, who is also the Mid West Academy of Sport chief executive, said it was always moving to represent Australia. “It’s a massive honour and a privilege to be selected and to represent your country,” he said. “I’m representing the Mid West and Australia, and I’ll always be proud to do it.” Historically, Australia has performed well on the world stage, winning silver medals in 2012 and 2014 and making the quarterfinals in the past six occasions. From the Mid West, Alex Ducas previously took part in the under-19s tournament in 2019, averaging 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Winterbine said the side was focused on performing well again. “We want to win the gold medal, that’s our plan,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to get to that point and win it.” Both the Mid West and WA will not have representatives on the court, after no players from the region were selected in the 12-person squad. However, with the recent success of the Geraldton Buccaneers, Winterbine said the Mid West could provide some high-quality athletes in the future. “We’ve had athletes in the past get through to this sort of level, even in the open, older age groups,” he said. “There’s nothing stopping anyone from here being able to get to that level.” The Crocs flew out on Monday, before their first game against Egypt on Saturday, June 29.