Jacob to captian Wales (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Jacob to captian Wales

10:18am Monday 1st June 2009

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Jacob Lloyd may only be 14, but the six-foot Thurstable School pupil is riding tall after being picked as the captain of the Welsh national under-16s basketball team.

The year-nine pupil plays in the point guard position for the Colchester Jammers basketball team and his first task as captain of Wales will be to lead the team out against England on June 20 in Bristol as part of the build-up to the FIBA European Championships in 2010.

That honour will then be followed by an away trip against Ireland in Dublin on July 11.

Lloyd has led the Colchester Jammers under-15 and under-16 teams in the National League this season and averaged 18 points per game while playing one and two years above his age group. With training in Cardiff and Swansea, Lloyd is in for a hard year, balancing the national training, club commitments, school and travel.

Colchester Jammers head coach Mark Lloyd, who is Jacob’s stepfather and team manager to the Great Britain under-20 men’s team, said: “Jacob has had a fantastic season and his leadership on the court has been immense for someone of such a young age.

“It’s wonderful that this has now been recognised at international level.

“Our summer will be busy as my commitments with the GB Team take me to Belgium, Luxembourg and Macedonia and now Jacob will be traveling regularly as well and often in a different direction.”

Welsh national coach Darren Oakey added: “Jacob has been selected to captain the side because of his fabulous work rate, the leadership qualities he has shown through the national trials and training sessions and the respect he has received from all the other members of the team.”

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