Welsh Internationals Look to Shine at Combine Academy

Article by : Akshat Kandya

Basketball Wales is proud to celebrate another major milestone in its international player development pathway, as our commercial partnership with Combine Academy in North Carolina continues to grow stronger each year. The following four athletes below have been selected and are currently in the USA attending the prestigious Combine Academy.

• Oliver Irvine
• Mateusz Majewski-Zelek
• Luca Shellard
• Luca Basini James

These talented athletes, drawn from our U17 and U20 national team squads, have been selected by Basketball Wales to attend the month-long scholarship programme at Combine Academy.

Basketball Wales extends its warmest congratulations and best wishes to each of these young players as they embark on this exciting journey across the Atlantic.

The players arrived in the United States just in time to experience the 4th of July celebrations, joining their hosts in marking American Independence Day with festivities, team bonding, and a warm welcome into the Combine Academy community. It was a memorable start to what promises to be a transformative month both on and off the court.

During their stay, the players will:

• Undergo regular daily basketball-specific training
• Participate in strength and conditioning sessions
• Compete in tournaments and events organised by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)

This immersive experience offers valuable development in a high-performance basketball environment and introduces the players to a new sporting culture.

Danny Williams, Basketball Wales’ Performance Programme Manager, shared his thoughts on the opportunity:

“Attending this year’s Combine scholarship is a great opportunity for the four selected players to experience basketball within a new culture in the United States, while working alongside new and top-level coaches over a four-week period — and come out better players.”

We are deeply thankful to Mr. Matt Morris and the entire team at Combine Academy for continuing to provide this unique scholarship programme. It offers an incredible platform for Welsh players to flourish, grow, and aspire to higher levels of performance.

In addition to the four athletes, four Welsh-based community coaches, Nigel Hill, Gareth Hicks, Bradley Payne and James Morgans are also joining the group at Combine Academy as part of Basketball Wales’ commitment to enhancing coaching standards and education within the national club pathway. This initiative ensures that not only our players, but also our coaches, gain access to world-class learning environments—helping to raise the game at every level back home in Wales.

Basketball Wales looks forward to strengthening this partnership in the years to come and continuing to support both players and coaches in reaching their full potential on the global stage.

To find out more about Combine Academy please visit: https://www.combineacademy.com/

Photos by: Ben Gordos