YOUNG DRAGONS IN YORKSHIRE VICTORY
Four of Bradford Dragons’ junior players were included in the victorious Yorkshire under 15 boys squad at the annual Regional Development Tournament, held in Leeds this weekend.
Bradford’s Zion Tordoff, Eisley Swaine, Calum O’Dowd and Jayden Martin were all selected to represent the county team, which was also coached by the Dragons assistant coach Samuel Messam.
The tournament, which also included teams from the North West, North East, East Midlands, East, South East, South, South West, West Midlands and London regions, is part of Basketball England’s talent identification system. In time, it will become the system of trialling or ‘trying out’ for England squad selection.
The Yorkshire side won all of their initial group games, going on to beat the East in the semi-final and then the North West in the final, finishing the tournament with a 6-0 record over the course of the weekend.
Coach Messam said, “It was a pleasure coaching the Yorkshire U15 representative squad. To get to the Regional Development Tournament, and win, was the net result of a great deal of hard work from the players. Having four junior Dragons on the squad made the experience particularly rewarding for me. Zion Tordoff and Eisley Swaine both had a fantastic tournament and Jayden Martin & Callum O’Dowd will have also learnt a great deal from the experience.”
Bradford’s Zion Tordoff, Eisley Swaine, Calum O’Dowd and Jayden Martin were all selected to represent the county team, which was also coached by the Dragons assistant coach Samuel Messam.
The tournament, which also included teams from the North West, North East, East Midlands, East, South East, South, South West, West Midlands and London regions, is part of Basketball England’s talent identification system. In time, it will become the system of trialling or ‘trying out’ for England squad selection.
The Yorkshire side won all of their initial group games, going on to beat the East in the semi-final and then the North West in the final, finishing the tournament with a 6-0 record over the course of the weekend.
Coach Messam said, “It was a pleasure coaching the Yorkshire U15 representative squad. To get to the Regional Development Tournament, and win, was the net result of a great deal of hard work from the players. Having four junior Dragons on the squad made the experience particularly rewarding for me. Zion Tordoff and Eisley Swaine both had a fantastic tournament and Jayden Martin & Callum O’Dowd will have also learnt a great deal from the experience.”
