Trafalgar Square will host its first-ever basketball tournament in a bid to inspire more young people to play the sport across the capital.
Three basketball courts will be set up beneath Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery for the final of the Jr. NBA 3v3 competition on Friday, June 6.
Organisers hope the iconic London landmark, which welcomed nearly 4.5 million visitors last June, will provide a stunning backdrop for students to demonstrate their skills.
Finalists from 10 schools across London, as well as three wheelchair basketball clubs, will go head-to-head in boys', girls' and mixed categories, qualifying from a starting pool of 315 teams.
The tournament, which is the flagship event of a wider programme aimed at increasing basketball activity in primary and secondary schools, is organised by London Marathon Events (LME) in collaboration with the NBA and is supported by the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan.
The competition was launched earlier this year with hundreds of the capital’s schools signing up to participate.
The tournament first began in January with a number of qualifying rounds taking place ahead of the finals in Trafalgar Square, which will be broadcast on big screens around the square.
One of the courts set up in the square will be used for 3v3 basketball coaching from the NBA for primary school children.
Up to 20 children per school from all the London primary schools will have the opportunity to attend the tournament and join the expert coaching sessions.
Sir Sadiq praised the event, describing Trafalgar Square as the “perfect venue” to stage the event.
The Mayor of London regularly describes London as the “sporting capital of the world” and last week backed a London bid for the 2040 Olympics.
Sir Sadiq said: “I am proud to support this innovative collaboration between London Marathon Events and the NBA, which I hope inspires more young people to play basketball in schools across the capital.
“The competition builds on the work of the new basketball taskforce I have created to grow the game and create positive opportunities for young people as we work together to build a better London for everyone.”
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, added: “Trafalgar Square is one of London's most iconic locations and it is so exciting that the Finals of Jr. NBA 3v3 will be the first basketball tournament ever to be held there.
“We want to get more children and young people to play basketball and Trafalgar Square will be a stunning location for the finalists to showcase their skills. It will provide an opportunity for thousands of people to watch the action and for schoolchildren to have a go at playing the game themselves.”
