Warrnambool's Jaylen Brown is getting closer to his ultimate goal of playing for Australia at the wheelchair basketball under 23 world championships in 2021.
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Jaylen is representing Australia for the first time on Friday in the Kitakyushu Cup in Fukuoka, Japan.
The promising youngster is playing for the Australian Spinners under 23 men's wheelchair basketball team in the 4-nation tournament which wraps up on Sunday.
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His mum, Louise Brown, said his team's first game would be against Germany on Saturday.
"He's really excited and grateful for the opportunity he has," she said.
The Aussie team will also take on Japan on Saturday and Canada on Sunday.
There will be gold and bronze medals games to conclude the tournament.
Louise, who coached the Warrnambool Mermaids in the Big V this year, said it would be a valuable experience.
"I think playing at an international level is completely different to a national level," she said.
Louise said she assumed it would be more physical and faster.
It will be Jaylen's first time overseas on his own after making trips to the United States with his mum more than a decade ago.
The talented 14-year-old will be the youngest member of the Spinners' 12-player squad.
"He gets along with all the boys really well and they've got a great team of staff," Louise said.
The team is getting the chance to experience Japanese culture and they have visited a primary school.
Jaylen, a South West Academy of Sport athlete, has been training with the Spinners' squad for the past 18 months.
He made the 12-player Kitakyushu Cup after impressing at a Woollongong training camp and tournament last month.
The Emmanuel College Year 8 student has a big summer ahead.
He has just been invited to attend an Australian Institute of Sport camp in January.
Louise said two Japanese teams would be attending the week-long experience.
The teenager will also try-out for National Wheelchair Basketball League men's team, Kilsyth Cobras, in December.
Jaylen played his first NWBL season with the Cobras this year.
He's also got try-outs for Victoria's under 23 Kevin Coombs Cup (national championships) side in December.
That tournament will be held in Ballarat in April next year.
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