The Otumoetai College Senior Boys Basketball team has qualified for the sport's national championship to be held in Palmerston North, August 21-27.

They are the only boys team from the Bay of Plenty to qualify with 24 teams from around the country heading there to compete.

The Otumoetai College Senior Boys Basketball team.

The development of the sport of basketball at the college over the last few years has paid off with this qualification and looks to continue with the recent win by the Junior Boys team of the Bay of Plenty Secondary School Champs.

A core group of the senior team has played together since their time at Otumoetai Intermediate starting at the AIMS Tournament.

This is a team of 12 talented young sportsmen.

One of the younger members has been invited to trial for the New Zealand Koru team selection, which is the young national side on the pathway to the Tall Blacks.

Another team member has just returned from a beach volleyball tournament in Singapore. Three other team members, including captain Adam Braddock, play for the college first XV and this weekend they have been invited to trial for the Bay of Plenty Under-18 Rugby team.

The side has caught the eye of local businessman and past pupil Roger Simister who was also an ex-Tall Black.

His business mentoring company ‘CoachForce' along with Bay Office Depot products have offered financial support to the team to help get them to nationals.

This is the first time that Otumoetai College has had a team qualify for the Senior Boys Basketball Nationals.