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More than 500 junior basketballers will travel from around the state to compete in this weekend's Seaside Classic, odd age basketball tournament in Port Macquarie.
It will be the first time the event has been held since 2019 and it promises to deliver some quality basketball among the 54 teams who will compete over Saturday and Sunday at the indoor stadium.
Port Macquarie Basketball Association president Lyndal Harper said both players and parents alike are really keen to see the pre-season tournament return.
"There's a whole crop of our under-12 and under-14 kids who don't know what we're talking about when we're saying Seaside," she said.
"So for them to get to experience that first taste of representative basketball in their hometown, with their parents being able to watch and no-one having to travel very far, it's really exciting for them."
Established as a warm-up event before the official representative season commences in March next year, the carnival will be used by Port Macquarie coaches to make final representative team selections.
Teams will compete in the under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17 boys and girls categories with teams to travel from Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Tamworth and Lismore.
Multiple teams have been entered from neighbouring basketball associations of Taree, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen.
"At one point before COVID we had 100 teams so it will take a little bit of time to rebuild the tournament, but 54 teams is a really great start," Harper said.
All six courts of the Port Macquarie Indoor Stadium will be used for 106 games over Saturday and Sunday with the Saturday games played every hour from 8am until 6pm.
Sunday games start at 8am with under-17 grand finals scheduled at 2pm and 3pm.
Port Macquarie Dolphins will field two teams in each boys age group including under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17 divisions.
"[Port Macquarie] has teams in every age group except under-17 women," Harper said.
"We've got two boys' teams in 11s, 13s, 15s and 17s and then two girls teams in 13s as well as teams in 11s and 15s and they'll be quite strong and worth watching."
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