On the ball: Zane Micallef has been picked up to play for Malta after officials saw his skills on the internet.
ERIN PEARSON
DRYSDALE teenager Zane Micallef will fly to Italy in July to compete in the European Basketball Championships.
The 14-year-old point guard will represent Malta in the under-16 championships after his improvement caught the eye of Maltese officials overseas.
The Malta Basketball Association contacted Basketball Geelong about Zane’s availability after his family uploaded video of him in action to the internet.
He will travel to Europe in late June for a two-week training camp ahead of the division C championships beginning July 12.
Zane, who was recovering this week from a broken nose sustained in an on-court clash, said he was still trying to absorb the news.
“When I told my friends most didn’t believe me,” he said.
“I was quite nervous but I’m pretty psyched about it.”
Zane said his “dream” was to earn a basketball scholarship for an American college.
“I hope playing in the championships can help my chances. I’d also love to play for the Geelong Supercats, so improving my skills is pretty important.”
The year-nine St Ignatius College student plays for Geelong in the Victorian Junior Basketball League.
His mother, Jasmyn, said a small pool of domestic stock prompted Malta to scout for players beyond its borders.
“Zane had his name on a few websites through his basketball and the scout contacted us for more information – it all happened so fast,” Ms Micalef said.
“This can only be a good thing for his resume and if he plays a good tournament hopefully he’ll be invited back next year.”
Basketball Geelong spokeswoman Amy Hawthorne said the league was thrilled.
Zane had “outstanding potential”, she said.
The European Basketball Championships run from July to August, incorporating countries including Serbia, Macedonia, Spain, Poland, Chile, Bulgaria and Romania.
