Have you dreamt of taking part in the Olympics? Do you have a British passport?
If you have answered yes to the first two questions the next one is going to be vital, if you are a male are you taller than 1.9m (or 6ft3in) and if you are female over 1.8m (5ft 11in)?
This is the pitch that British Basketball and UK Sport have put forward as part their “Tall and Talented” campaign which has been aired on radio and television.
The aim being to find tall talented athletes already playing sport at a reasonable level, that they can train up to be a part of their Olympic basketball team for 2012.
Britain as host are pulling out all the stops to have representation in as many events as possible, but at the same time not be an embarrassment like one Eddie the Eagle was in the past.
Applicants need to be “quick agile and skilful and/or fit, powerful and strong,” as well as being “mentally tough and competitive.”
“No prior experience in rowing, basketball or any specific sport is required.”
The more than 1000 applicants who meet the height requirements will be put through physical tests at various locations around the country in the next month. After six months those who make the cut will be put into specific full time training programmes.
But will it have the desired result? Just because you are tall and athletic can you become a basketballer? Or is this the chance for an Olympic spin off reality television show?
To be fair you can achieve success in such a way. Vicky Thornley won a gold medal at last year’s under 23 World Rowing Championships despite only having climbed into a boat two years previously, after being selected through the 2007 Sporting Giants programme in the UK.
Time will most definitely tell, but what a great opportunity.
