Some of the island’s best young basketball players will spend this weekend honing their skills under the guidance of two NBA coaches.

Matt Brase and Troy Justice are in Bermuda for the Digicel Jumpstart clinic, which got under way at Berkeley Institute yesterday and runs until tomorrow afternoon.

The clinic, which is run in partnership with the Bermuda Basketball Youth Federation, is open to girls and boys, with coaches selecting seven players to represent Bermuda at an elite coaching camp in October in St Lucia.

The three days of intense coaching will consist of individual drills, shooting competitions, games and skills development.

Michael Dunkley, the Premier, was on hand for the launch of the clinic yesterday morning, and said he hoped the participants would take the achievements of the island’s Olympic athletes as motivation to follow their dreams.

“I’m extremely excited to once again show my support for Digicel Bermuda’s NBA Jumpstart programme,” Dunkley said.

“We are fresh off the 2016 Rio Olympics and I’m sure everyone will agree that this year’s Summer Games were nothing short of inspirational and spectacular.

“I want to once again extend my heartfelt congratulations to all eight of our Olympians who proudly represented our island. We should all celebrate their achievement, as it is an example of what can be accomplished when one follows their dreams.

“I use this as an example because I believe that our eight Olympians are true sports role models for our young people. They have shown that great things can happen with perseverance, dedication and commitment.

“These are lessons that our young people can benefit from. I believe that the next few days of the Digicel NBA Jumpstart programme promises to be an amazing opportunity for our young people. They will learn so much about team work, discipline and sportsmanship.

“I want to thank everyone for making this event possible particularly Digicel Bermuda, our local sporting organisations, and especially our parents — and I wish our young people nothing but success over the next few days.”