Rising teenage basketball star Luke Mascall-Wright has been given a boost with a SportsAid grant.

The 19-year-old, who plays guard for Ipswich Basketball Club, was presented with the award by Danny Crates, one of Britain’s top disability athletes, at the Bury St Edmunds SportsAid Lunch Club, held at the Suffolk Golf and Spa Hotel, at Fornham St Genevieve.

Luke has been identified as having the potential to play at the highest level and has been scouted by officials from the top American basketball leagues.

The Copleston School sixth-former, who stands at 6ft 3in, is currently weighing up offers from colleges in Hawaii and Seattle.

He has represented Great Britain Under-20s at the 2014 Division A European Championships, the top junior basketball competition in the world. The team finished 11th in Europe which was a best ever result at that level.

The Bury St Edmunds SportsAid Lunch Club was established last year thanks to local businesses Abbeycroft Leisure, IRS Risk Management and Insurance, Lovewell Blake and Sicon. Since then it has raised over £5,000 to help young Suffolk athletes with the cost of training and competing at elite level.

Crates, who won World, Olympic and European titles as well as breaking the world 800-metre record, addressed an audience of local business people recounting his journey from promising rugby player to Paralympic star via losing his right arm in a horrific accident whilst travelling and working in Australia.

Warren Smyth, chief executive of Abbeycroft Leisure, said: “Danny’s story is both emotional and inspirational. Abbeycroft Leisure is very grateful to Danny for giving up his time to help us raise money to help the next generation of sports stars from Suffolk.”

Bernie Aldous a director with IRS Risk Management and Insurance said: “SportsAid is a very worthwhile charity that provides invaluable support to young sportsmen and women when they need it most.”