Australia’s U16 basketball team wins Asian Cup in Qatar under team manager Darren Winterbine from Geraldton

Australia’s under-16 basketball squad has won the 2023 FIBA Asian Championship in Qatar under team manager and Geraldton local Darren Winterbine. The Mid West Academy of Sport CEO took on the reins of managing the Australia squad, known as the Crocodiles, once again after a successful stint last year. Winterbine was with the U15 Crocodiles last year that won the Oceania Championships, but came into this competition with higher expectations as the opponents would be tougher. The Asian Championship had 16 different countries competing against each other, and the top four teams would earn qualification into the 2024 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup that will be held in Turkey. The Australia side went undefeated during the group stages, going 3-0 against India, Lebanon and Sri Lanka. During the finals, Australia dominated the competition, beating Jordan in the quarterfinals by 67 points, 117-50, and the Philippines in the semifinals by 56, with a 92-36 final score. In the grand finals was where they faced the toughest match-up in New Zealand, but the Crocodiles still pulled off a three-point win, 79-76, to take out the championship. As team manager, Winterbine helped the athletes off the court, with his job ranging from organising meetings, making sure they are getting enough sleep and eating well, logistics around their performance and more. While the side did not have any WA players in the team, Winterbine said before the tournament that everything he learnt throughout the tournament he would bring back to young athletes in the Mid West. “It’s great for me because then I bring all those things that I learned from this back here to the local level, to the Mid West academies and pass it through those programs to the athletes,” he said.