A strong international line-up of basketball coaches and former professional players will be heading to Malta this September for the Elite Basketball Camp 2026, offering young local players the opportunity to experience coaching influenced by both the American and European game.

The four-day camp will take place between September 7 and 10 at the Malta Basketball Association National Stadium in Ta’ Qali and will be open to players aged between seven and 18.

Among the headline names is former WNBA star Andrea Stinson, a three-time WNBA All-Star who enjoyed a lengthy professional career in both the United States and Europe.

Stinson, who is also involved with USA Select Basketball, will bring experience from the highest levels of the women’s game and will work directly with young players throughout the camp.

She will be joined by Sean Kilmartin, founder and chairman of USA Select Basketball. A former NCAA Division I player who later played professionally in Europe, Kilmartin has spent several years working in youth basketball and player development in the United States. He is also involved with the Amateur Athletic Union, one of the major organisations in American youth sport.

The coaching staff will also include Bart Sengers, head coach of the Netherlands women’s national team, bringing senior international coaching experience to the programme.

Sengers has worked extensively within European basketball and has also enjoyed success at international youth level, including winning the FIBA U20 European Championship Division B.

Former professional player and individual skills coach Terell Smith, of Smith Elite Training, will add a strong skills-development element to the camp, focusing on the individual techniques and decision-making required in the modern game.

Bettina Jones, head coach of Colorado Realm, will provide further American coaching experience, while Maltese performance coach Ruben Baldacchino will complete the coaching team.

Baldacchino holds an MSc in Performance Coaching from the University of Stirling and has gained experience within NCAA Division I basketball environments in the United States, including with the men’s programmes at Temple University and the University of Delaware.

He has also worked at USA Select Basketball camps in the United States, forming part of the international basketball network that the Malta event aims to make more accessible to young local players.

The organisers said the objective of the camp is to offer more than a traditional basketball programme.

Participants will be exposed to different coaching philosophies and training methods while working on individual skills, decision-making, game situations and competitive play.

A key aspect of the camp will be the opportunity for Maltese youngsters to interact directly with coaches and former players with experience across the WNBA, NCAA, European professional basketball, international national teams and the American youth basketball system.

The camp will form part of a wider week of international basketball in Malta, alongside the Elite Basketball Tournament Malta, scheduled to take place between September 8 and 11.

The tournament will bring overseas teams to Malta and is intended to provide further international exposure for local basketball, while offering clubs valuable competitive opportunities ahead of the domestic season.

The combination of the tournament and youth camp is aimed at strengthening Malta’s links with international basketball and giving aspiring players the opportunity to experience different approaches to coaching and player development without having to travel overseas.

Registration for the Elite Basketball Camp is open to players aged between seven and 18.

The organisers thanked VisitMalta and IGaming Academy, part of SiGMA, for their support.