The New Jersey Nets Vince Carter was on hand at a playground in South London today to help launch the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA youth program that is meant to bring free basketball training to thousands of schoolchildren across Britain.

 

The programme is being held in co-ordination with local community organisations, major football clubs and sponsors and will stage coaching opportunities and competitions for players aged 12-18 over the coming years.

 

Sophie Goldschmidt, the vice president of NBA Europe, said: "Our goal is simple, it's about getting more people involved in sport.

 

"Tens of thousands hopefully, maybe hundreds of thousands."

 

It started with about 25 local aspiring players today, who were put through some shooting drills with Carter at a park in Lambeth - the same South London area where Deng grew up and learned to play, the start of a new career that has taken him to the Chicago Bulls, where last month he signed a new multi-million pound contract.

 

Deng, who could not attend today's event because he was in Tel Aviv preparing for Britain's EuroBasket match against Israel tonight, will be the official ambassador for the new scheme.

 

But Carter was more than an able stand-in.

 

He said: "I could be out here all day.

 

"It's great to be able to come here and teach what you know, especially with young kids."

 

Carter will return to London when his New Jersey Nets play the Miami Heat in a pre-season game at the O2 Arena on October 12, the second year in a row that the NBA will stage a game in Britain.

 

Carter said: "You can't beat this, to play here and see what the die-hard fans are like.

 

"They get to see it, smell it, touch it and enjoy it."

 

The NBA youth programme is part of Britain's efforts to make basketball more popular.

 

Goldschmidt said: "People are sports crazy over here.

 

"But of course football and other sports have been dominant.

 

"When 2012 comes, there is going to be more of a focus on [basketball]."

 

In a statement, Deng said: "Teaching basketball fundamentals in an organised environment will help secure the future of the game in England.

 

"It is important to continue creating new opportunities for our young players to learn the game."

 

After seeing a sample of the country's young basketball players, Carter said he would not be surprised to see Britain competing in London in four years.

 

He said: "There's definitely hope for British basketball."