The 18-year-old was yesterday named in the Junior Tall Blacks squad to travel to the Fiba under-19 world championships in Egypt.
Having begun his involvement with the team in 2015, it had been a long time coming. An email on Thursday confirmed the good news.
"There’s always that relief, but definitely excitement. It’ll be awesome," Aitcheson said.
"After winning [the Oceania qualifying tournament] in Fiji, the focus is just automatically switched to making that team for worlds.
"With such a competitive squad with us, you never really know whether you’re going to make it or not. It was a matter of relief and "looking forward to going on to the world stage and trying to compete".
He would link with the squad at a camp in Auckland on June 10. The team then flies to China on June 14, and is scheduled to play a warm-up tournament involving Lithuania, China and a United States high school selection team.
It will then progress to Egypt, where it is in a pool with France, Argentina and South Korea at the main event.
Aitcheson regularly travels to Invercargill to train with the Southland Sharks and said that experience would be valuable in the weeks ahead.He did not know much about the other teams in the pool, although they would have a look at them closer to the time.
For now, the team’s focus was on itself and things were coming along well.
"Players have been in and out, but over those two years people have got to know each other and we’re getting pretty tight and close.
"Those five days and that China tournament will be really good to just get the combinations and stuff sorted in the team."
There were several changes to the line-up that won in Fiji.
Tai Wynyard, who plays for the University of Kentucky in the US, returns and offers the squad a high-level big man with Tall Black experience.
Canterbury players Angus McWilliam and Toby Gillooly, who have scholarships in the US, also slot in.
Dan Fotu, Takiula Fahrensohn and Samson Aruwa were all unavailable through injury.
Dunedin’s Gavin Briggs is the team’s assistant coach.
Junior Tall Blacks squad
for World Championships
Josh Aitcheson, Flynn Cameron, Tobias Cameron, Quinn Clinton, Toby Gillooly, Isaac Letoa, Hamish McDonald, Callum McRae, Angus McWilliam, Taane Samuel, Samuel Waardenburg, Tai Wynyard. Non-travelling reserves: Brayden Inger, Connor Woodbridge.
