Last week, Basketball Australia announced the Australian Junior Championships would take place in Darwin from September 26 to October 3.
Waight, the head coach of Vic Country under-16 men's side, was due to head to Perth in July, however, the championships were rescheduled due to multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 across the country prior to the event taking place.
Waight and his talented youngsters were denied entry to Western Australia due to a coronavirus outbreak in Victoria.
The rescheduled event will be held at the Darwin Basketball Stadium and Marrara Indoor Stadium.
Waight — the head coach of Big V outfit Shepparton Gators — will have a Goulburn Valley compatriot alongside him for the trip north, with Seymour’s Jesse Brock a member of the under-16 line-up.
It will be a memorable occasion for Waight, who gets a crack at steering a state side for the first time after years of being involved in the Vic Country teams.
Basketball Victoria chief executive Nick Honey said the players and coaching staff deserved a chance to compete at the national tournament and hoped the event would be able to go ahead.
“We’re hopeful we get to see our under-16 teams get their chance to compete in the national arena,” Honey said.
“They went through the challenges associated with getting into Perth earlier this year, being denied entry to self-isolation at the last minute and have also dealt with a number of separate lockdowns throughout 2021.
“In spite of everything put in their way our teams have remained optimistic, diligent in their training and ready to go. These players, coaches and families have earned a chance to be part of the Australian Junior Championships and we’re looking forward to a rescheduled event.”
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