Euroleague has announced the schedule of the Nike International Junior Tournaments. According to Euroleague.net every city will see either eight or twelve teams competing over three days for the possibility of booking their place in the 2010 Nike International Junior Tournament, to be held May 6 to 9 in Paris, France. In 2009, La Caja de Canarias Gran Canaria (Spain), Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) and FMP (Serbia) won their respective classification tournaments, with FMP going on to win the NIJT in Berlin.
The first classification tournament will be the Torneo Città Di Roma, organised by A.S. Stella Azurra in Rome, Italy and running from December 27 to 29, 2009. This will be swiftly followed by the Torneig de Básquet Júnior “Ciutat de L'Hospitalet”, organized by CB L'Hospitalet in L'Hospitalet, Spain and running from January 4 to 6, 2010. The third classification tournament will be the Euroleague Basketball Nike International Junior Classification Tournament Belgrade, organised by FMP in Belgrade, Serbia and running from February 12 to 14, 2010. This will be followed by the Barking Abbey Academy Euroleague Basketball Junior Classification Tournament in London, United Kingdom and running from February 19 to 21, 2010. The climax of the year will take place in parallel with the Final Four, when the Nike International Junior Tournament takes place in Paris, France from May 6 to 9, 2010.
As the place where future stars are born, the list of NIJT alumni is rapidly growing and yet more will begin their path to stardom this season. Many players who began their careers at one of the tournaments can now be found on Euroleague and Eurocup teams, including Jonas Maciulis (Armani Jeans Milano), Milos Teodosic (Olympiacos Piraeus), Luigi Datome (Virtus Roma), Mirza Begic, Povilas Butkevicius, Mantas Kalnietis and Zygimantas Janavicius (Zalgiris Kaunas).
The action tips off in Rome on Sunday, December 27 as twelve teams begin their own Road to Paris. On May 9, 2010 a new champion will be crowned at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy merely hours before the two best teams in Europe take the same court for the final game in the Euroleague Basketball Final Four. The winner in Paris will not only be crowned as the new European junior champions, but will also qualify for next summer's 2010 Nike Global Challenge tournament in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
