Youth players and coaches recognised at 2026 International Caps Ceremony

Basketball Ireland welcomed players, staff, family and friends to the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel on Sunday 30th August for the 2026 International Caps Ceremony, as those who represented their country throughout the year were presented with their official caps and medals.

Representatives from the Ireland U16, U18 and U20 teams that competed at the FIBA Youth EuroBasket in July and August were present, as were the U17 men’s and women’s teams who played in the Four Nations in Scotland in June.

Basketball Ireland President Margaret Miley presented the caps to the players, while there was a keynote address from Ireland men's international Adrian O’Sullivan, who featured in all six of Ireland’s FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers.

The underage players of the year at each age category were also announced:

U16 Women Player of the Year – Sorcha Kelly 
U16 Men Player of the Year – Hubert Gocek
U18 Women Player of the Year – Francesca Kyamagero
U18 Men Player of the Year – Fryderyk Klimas
U20 Women Player of the Year – Faye McDonnell
U20 Men Player of the Year – Harry Scully

Speaking at the ceremony, Basketball Ireland president, Margaret Miley said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the coaches and staff of our international teams. They have put in so much time and energy over the last year, both on and off the court, to prepare the players to be in optimum shape for the summer’s FIBA Youth EuroBasket and Home Nations tournaments. There is a lot that goes into running a team -planning, administration and logistics – from organising training sessions, all the way to the tournaments themselves. We are so appreciative of our volunteer's dedication over the last 12 months."

"The International Caps Ceremony helps mark the hard work and sacrifices players have made, along with their families. Thank you to the parents, guardians and wider families for your invaluable support you’ve given to the players. It’s great to see so many positive results on the court from our underage teams -  they are the next generation filtering into our senior sides. It also illustrates the importance of our performance pathway, which begins in our Academies, and I’d like to acknowledge the work done by all those involved in our underage programme," added Miley.

Photos from the event will be uploaded here.