Taipei, March 22 (CNA) Nine high school basketball teams from six nations will play in a high school basketball tournament in Taipei with European teams entering the tournament for the first time, the Chinese Taipei School Sport Federation (CTSSF) announced at a press conference Wednesday.
With the participation of high schools from the Netherlands and Germany, the event marks the first time in 14 years that European teams have taken part in the International High School Basketball Tournament, which this year also invited teams from Canada, Japan and Korea.
The team from Ashram College Alphen aan de Rijn of the Netherlands, with an average height of 194cm, will command everyone's attention in the men's competition. Led by 191cm center Mirijam Unger, Germany's Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium will make its debut in the women's group.
As usual, Japan and Korea are sending highly competitive teams to the tournament. Fukuoka Daiichi High School, the defending champion in Japan's domestic high school league, and Kwang Shin Information Industrial High School of Korea, will compete in the men's group.
Perennial high school basketball powerhouses from Japan's Ohka-Gakuen High School and Korea's Song Eui High School will meet in the women's group.
Kitsilano Secondary School, which is from Vancouver, represents Canada in the men's group.
Host nation Taiwan is sending its men's and women's high school All-Star teams to the four-day tournament, which will take place in the Taipei Gymnasium March 23-26.
Five men's teams and four women's teams will play in a round robin preliminary before the top two teams in each group face off in the championship on Sunday.