SIXTEEN-year-old basketballer Eliza Barden was one of 10 girls selected from Australia to compete in the INAS-FID World Cup for the intellectually disabled in Rome this month.

The Year 9 Canobolas Rural Technology High School student joined selected team-mates from across the country to play in the international basketball competition, where Australia finished a close second to Russia in the finals.

The Australian team also played France, Portugal, Mexico, and even managed a bit of sightseeing between games.

“We got to see the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum which was good,” said Barden.

Barden’s teacher and basketball coach Carmen Skidmore had nothing but praise for her and the rest of the Australian team.

“It’s a wonderful experience, and I think they’re probably the future of basketball in Australia,” said Skidmore.

“Eliza was in the Special Olympics World Games for basketball last year in China where her team came first, but the INAS-FID World Cup is a much harder competition, it’s the best in the world playing.”

Barden’s next competition will be in February at the Ivor Burge Basketball Championship for athletes with an intellectual disability, where she will play for the NSW team.