Crystal Palace National Sports Centre hosts next generation of basketball stars at Hoopsfix All-Star Classic

The next generation of UK basketball stars took to the court at the 2023 Hoopsfix All-Star Classic – with 1,500 fans packing the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

A full house saw the brightest young talent from the domestic game in action during a men’s U19 game and a women’s U19 game on Sunday, with fans also treated to a three-point contest
and dunk competition.

Players are invited to take part in the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic based on their performances during the previous season and it has become a highly anticipated annual event in the domestic basketball
calendar.

And players from London were in dominant form, with Barking Abbey’s Fatmata Janneh named MVP in the women’s game and Nedas Cholevinskas, also of Barking Abbey, taking the men’s MVP.
Chudi Dioramma (Haringey Hawks) also impressed during the men’s game, registering 12 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks.

Josiah Philip, of New City College in Hackney, won the coveted dunk contest – with his list of dunks including one gravity-defying effort which saw him leap over both his fellow finalists.

The three-point contest was won by William Issekya from Milton Keynes, who edged out Cholevinskas in a gripping final.

London was well-represented on the court, with Moziah King-Danchie (Barking Abbey), Ignas Juskevicius (Barking Abbey), Liam Campbell (London Elite), and Clemson Edomwonyin (CoLA) all also in action in the men’s U19 game.

The women’s U19 game featured six players from Southwark-based CoLA selected on the back of their dominant WEABL season, with Emily O’Connell, Blanche Toualeu, Felicia Jacobs, Ana-Isabel Andersson, Violet Stutz, and WEABL final MVP Ebere Egbirika all taking part alongside Janneh.

The talented young players will now hope to follow in the footsteps of the many previous Hoospifx All-Star Classic players who have gone on to enjoy successful basketball careers – including Jeremy
Sochan, who is now starring in the NBA for the San Antonio Stars, and London Lions’ Holly Winterburn, who is one of the most exciting players in the WBBL.

The Hoopsfix All-Star Classic was also raising money for the Hoopsfix Foundation, a charity which helps grow the game across the UK – encouraging young people to play basketball and refurbishing and improving community courts in towns and cities.

Sam Neter, who organises the Classic, said: “Once again we saw some amazing basketball from some incredibly talented young players, played in front of a packed stadium.

“The Hoopsfix All-Star Classic has become a real celebration of basketball in the UK and seeing the skills and passion of this next generation of stars I know the game is in safe hands.”