A talented basketball player from New City College in Hackney won the prestigious slam dunk contest at the annual Hoospfix All-Star Classic.

Josiah Philip beat Lane Campbell, who plays for EABL side Charnwood, in a thrilling final in front of 1,500 fans at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Sunday.

A final round score of 140 was enough to secure the title, with Philip producing an eye-catching and gravity-defying dunk which saw him jump over his fellow finalists Campbell and Declan Kom (Sheffield Elite) to register a second perfect dunk of the round.

Philip’s win was one of the highlights of this year’s Classic, which showcases the rising stars of the domestic game with an under-19 women’s game and an under-19 men’s game alongside a dunk and three-point contest.

Players are invited to take part based on their performances during the previous season and it has become a highly anticipated annual event in the domestic basketball calendar.

Philip also took part in the men’s under-19 game but could not prevent his team falling to a 96-66 defeat.

Nevertheless, he joins an impressive list of dunk contest winners and will hope to follow in the footsteps of the many previous Hoospifx All-Star Classic players who have gone on to enjoy successful basketball careers – including Jeremy Sochan, who is now starring in the NBA for the San Antonio Stars, and London Lions’ Holly Winterburn, who is one of the most exciting players in the WBBL.

The Hoopsfix All-Star Classic was also raising money for the Hoopsfix Foundation, a charity which helps grow the game across the UK – encouraging young people to play basketball and refurbishing and improving community courts in towns and cities.

Sam Neter, who organises the Classic, said: “Once again we saw some amazing basketball from some incredibly talented young players, played in front of a packed stadium.

“The Hoopsfix All-Star Classic has become a real celebration of basketball in the UK and seeing the skills and passion of this next generation of stars I know the game is in safe hands.”

For more information on the Hoopsfix Foundation, visit http://www.hoopsfixfoundation.org