Cathy Melain joins the French youth international basketball scene



Cathy MelainCathy Melain from Bourges Basket makes her début in French youth international basketball as an assistant coach with the U16 team. She was a member of the U16 squad in 1991.
Arnauld Guppillotte, the head coach, had spent the past few months watching players all over the country. Then he invited a number of players, that were not involved in his roster, for the tournaments held earlier in the year to a training camp in May.

As a result some of the players from this camp in May were selected with players from his initial roster for the traditional joint training camp with Germany. This year it was the turn of France to visit Germany.

The camp also included a three-match series that France won 2:1. All three games were close with France winning the first two games (47-42) and (51-50).

Germany won the last game (66-61), a result that pleased Alexandra Maerz the German head coach as her side are back in the first division after three years in division B.

A final list of 17 players to prepare for the Termosteps U16 Women European Championship Division A was published soon after this camp:

Héléna Akmouche1. Héléna Akmouche (left)
2. Tracy Albicy
3. Laury Aulnette
4. Florine Basque
5. Cécile Baudy
6. Jodie Cornelie
7. Agathe Degorces
8. Awa Diallo
9. Christelle Diallo
10. Jenny Fouasseau
11. Eléonore Grossemy
12. Laure Kebe
13. Adja Konteh
14. Marion Lemonnier
15. Aminata M'baye
16. Anaïs Manceau
17. Esther Niamke

The marathon preparation began on 20 June with the first training camp.

The French U16 women have a total of four training camps and at least 10 international matches before the European championship in August.

Adja KontehFrance won the title for the second time last season. Only three members of that squad are still eligible this year. All three players are in the national basketball academy (INSEP) and play for the CFFB in NF2 (Akmouche, Konteh (left) and Lemonnier).

The FIBA Europe U16 championships for division A and B start on 8 August this year. France will be defending their division A title in Katowice, Poland.


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picture credits:
FIBA Europe: Héléna Akmouche
FFBB: Cathy Melain

Date created: 27 June 2008


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