NSW xjmtzywPremier Dominic Perrottet will come up against the likes of Nick Kyrgios and Anthony Mundine when he captains one of two basketball sides in Sunday’s Starlight Celebrity charity game.
Mr. Perrottet and his teammates are set to take to the court at Qudos Bank Arena ahead of the clash between the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks.
Standing between Mr. Perrottet and basketball glory will be a team captained by breakfast radio host Ben Fordham.
All proceeds from the game will be donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
“I love playing basketball and even more so when it’s to support a worthy cause like the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which brightens sick kids’ lives,” Mr. Perrottet told News Corp.
Fordham had previously announced plans to organise a charity match on his radio show but full team lists had not been revealed until Easter Monday.
Mr. Perrottet predicted Fordham would be keen to get one over him on the basketball court.
“Every morning Ben tries to cut through our defence so if we’re being honest – he’s been training for this for years,” Mr. Perrottet said.
Elsewhere, Anthony Mundine, playing for Team Fordham, will go head-to-head with his son, Anthony Mundine Jr., who is on Team Perrottet.
Nick Kyrgios, radio host Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, NRL legend Jamie Soward, Miss Universe Australia 2020 Maris Thattil and actor Dan Ewing are among the other stars locked in to participate.
Best known for his work on , Ewing played representative basketball as a youth alongside current Perth Wildcats guard Kevin White.
The 36 year-old is a long-time fan of the Kings and is looking forward to featuring in the curtain-raiser to their clash with the Hawks.
“I can’t wait,” Ewing told News Corp.
“To play on this floor, it’s any hooper’s dream.
“To get to play before a game of that magnitude for the Kings and for the Starlight Foundation, it’s huge.”
The basketball game coincides with the Kings’ annual Purple Reign fundraising initiative, through which the side encourages fans to donate to Starlight.
“These past few years have given us all personal experiences of uncertainty, social isolation and disruption. For children and their families managing serious illness, this is something they face every day,” said Starlight CEO Louise Baxter.
“Every dollar spent on Starlight’s services must be raised first and foremost by the generosity of the community. That’s why for this year’s Purple Reign we ask you to dig deep so we can continue delivering the happiness and positivity that helps improve thousands of sick kids’ resilience, confidence and overall wellbeing.”
The team lists for the Starlight Celebrity charity game are:
Team Perrottet
Dominic Perrottet (Captain, NSW Premier)
Michael “Wippa” Wipfli (Nova 96.9 host)
Belinda Russell (Channel 9 television presenter)
Jimmy Smith (NRL great and SEN host)
Brad Rosen (Kings great and media personality)
Tristan McManus (Studio 10 host)
Anthony Mundine Jr (Son of a Gun)
Maria Thattil (Miss World 2020)
Steve Carfino (coach, NBL legend)
Team Fordham
Ben Fordham (Captain, 2GB host)
Jo Healy (television presenter)
Dan Ewing (actor)
Nick Kyrgios (tennis star)
Matt Logue (News Corp basketball journalist)
Anthony Mundine (NRL and boxing legend)
L-Fresh the Lion (hip hop artist)
Jamie Soward (NRL legend)
Shane Heal (coach, NBL legend)
