Tasmanian basketball has been given two huge boosts with Chris Goulding taking a major step towards his third Olympic Games and the JackJumpers laying more foundations for their NBL title defence.
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Fresh from facing his home state in the NBL finals series, Launceston-born Goulding has been named in a 22-player squad that will be up for selection for the Boomers in Paris later this year.
He is among 10 players - including Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, Dante Exum and Melbourne United teammate Matt Dellavedova - from the Tokyo 2020 bronze medal breakthrough having also attended the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The son of AFL Tasmania Hall of Fame inductee and former North Launceston coach Steve Goulding, the 35-year-old shooting guard spent the first seven years of his life in Tasmania, went to West Launceston Primary School and began playing basketball at Launceston PCYC in a team called the Supercats.
The family moved to Brisbane In the mid-90s where Goulding continued his schooling at Gumdale and Brisbane State High.
This Olympic squad will be refined before training camp in July with a final 12 selected to meet the world's best in the French capital from late July.
With key players Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay also acknowledged for their contributions to Tasmania's breakthrough NBL championship with Boomers selections, the JackJumpers have announced the latest squad news for their championship defence.
Club MVP and Larry Sengstock Medallist McVeigh has committed to the club for a further two seasons, while Anthony Drmic has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal.
McVeigh was thrilled to reveal the contract and continue his strong form trajectory with the club.
"Tasmania definitely feels like home now," said the NSW-born 27-year-old. "I'm really settled here, my partner Beth is moving down soon from Adelaide and I'm playing the best basketball of my career here.
"It was a pretty easy decision, in fact it wasn't even a decision. The coaches, club and I were all on the same page. I'm really excited to have that locked away and to continue to build on our achievements over the next few years."
Drmic, a 32-year-old Melburnian, also said he was happy to extend his stay in Tasmania.
"This season was one of the best I have had both on and off the floor," he said. "My family absolutely loves Tasmania and the state holds an extra special place in our hearts, given we had our second son here in February so we're thrilled to have some stability and continue our journey here."
Drmic is currently playing for the Adelaide Bearcats in the NBL1 season and will return to Tasmania in early August.
- Boomers Olympic squad: Chris Goulding, Dante Exum, DJ Vasiljevic, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Jack McVeigh, Jack White, Jock Landale, Joe Ingles, Johnny Furphy, Sam Froling, Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Keanu Pinder, Matisse Thybulle, Matthew Dellavedova, Nick Kay, Patty Mills, Rocco Zikarsky, Will Magnay, Will McDowell-White, Xavier Cooks