May 25, 2012
2010 Nike International Junior Classification tourneys
NIKE INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR TOURNAMENTThe Euroleague is proud to announce that for the eighth edition of the Nike International Junior Tournament, to be held in Paris next May, a total of four classification tournaments will be held across Europe -- in Rome, L'Hospitalet, Belgrade and London -- as Europe's elite youngsters fight for the right to play on the biggest stage of all, the Final Four.

Following the successful introduction of two classification tournaments in 2008 (L'Hospitalet and Belgrade) and a third in 2009 (Rome), the Euroleague has decided to add one more this season, in London. With these changes, Europe's best under-18 players will be present in Paris, and the team winning the tournament in May will be crowned the undisputed European Junior Club Champion.

"When we first held a junior tournament six years ago on the occasion of the 2003 Final Four in Barcelona, our aim was to create something that has never before existed - a European junior club championship," Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball CEO, said. "Thanks to the wonderful support we receive in our excellent relationship with Nike and our collaboration with A.S. Stella Azurra, CB L'Hospitalet, FMP and Barking Abbey School, we now see this come to fruition."

Every city will see either eight or twelve teams competing over three days for the possibility of booking their place in the 2010 Nike International Junior Tournament, to be held May 6 to 9 in Paris, France. In 2009, La Caja de Canarias Gran Canaria (Spain), Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) and FMP (Serbia) won their respective classification tournaments, with FMP going on to win the NIJT in Berlin.

The first classification tournament will be the Torneo Città Di Roma, organised by A.S. Stella Azurra in Rome, Italy and running from December 27 to 29, 2009. This will be swiftly followed by the Torneig de Básquet Júnior “Ciutat de L'Hospitalet”, organized by CB L'Hospitalet in L'Hospitalet, Spain and running from January 4 to 6, 2010. The third classification tournament will be the Euroleague Basketball Nike International Junior Classification Tournament Belgrade, organised by FMP in Belgrade, Serbia and running from February 12 to 14, 2010. This will be followed by the Barking Abbey Academy Euroleague Basketball Junior Classification Tournament in London, United Kingdom and running from February 19 to 21, 2010. The climax of the year will take place in parallel with the Final Four, when the Nike International Junior Tournament takes place in Paris, France from May 6 to 9, 2010.

As the place where future stars are born, the list of NIJT alumni is rapidly growing and yet more will begin their path to stardom this season. Many players who began their careers at one of the tournaments can now be found on Euroleague and Eurocup teams, including Jonas Maciulis (Armani Jeans Milano), Milos Teodosic (Olympiacos Piraeus), Luigi Datome (Virtus Roma), Mirza Begic, Povilas Butkevicius, Mantas Kalnietis and Zygimantas Janavicius (Zalgiris Kaunas).

Fans will be able follow the action every step of the way to a new continental champion at www.euroleague.net/events/nijt, where articles, statistics, game reports, photos and links will be available during each and every tournament. The action tips off in Rome on Sunday, December 27 as twelve teams begin their own Road to Paris. On May 9, 2010 a new champion will be crowned at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy merely hours before the two best teams in Europe take the same court for the final game in the Euroleague Basketball Final Four. The winner in Paris will not only be crowned as the new European junior champions, but will also qualify for next summer's 2010 Nike Global Challenge tournament in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Euroleague.net
PrintPrint Send to a FriendSend to a Friend ShareShare

Special Features

Interviews
Vassilis Spanoulis , Olympiacos Piraeus
Vassilis Spanoulis - Olympiacos Piraeus
Six months ago, fans outside of Greece would have recognized few of the Olympiacos players who were not named... MORE
Interviews
Kostas Papanikolaou , Olympiacos Piraeus
Kostas Papanikolaou - Olympiacos
Small forward Kostas Papanikolaou is a central piece of the young core of players that has led Olympiacos Piraeus... MORE
Interviews
Dusan Ivkovic , Olympiacos Piraeus
Dusan Ivkovic
Once again this season, Dusan Ivkovic showed why he is a living legend among basketball coaches by guiding... MORE

Submenu