The eight boys, most of whom had never traveled internationally before, met this week with Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol R. Johnson at the Parkman House to share their experiences.
"It is clear to me these students experienced the trip of a lifetime," Menino said in a statement. "I'm proud they represented Boston and the United States so well on this trip. These young men are smart, charismatic and were able to learn through this trip that the world is open to them."
In addition to playing in the tournament with some of their Chinese peers, the students traveled around Beijing, learning about the history and culture during the 10-day trip before returning home in mid-December, city school officials said.
"This trip was amazing, I learned so much more than I expected," Kevin Bernardez, an 11th-grader at Madison Park High in Roxbury, said in a statement. "We walked on the Great Wall of China in person and had the opportunity to volunteer at the Dandelion School, a school for migrant workers' children."
Tom McCarthy, a Boston Latin School alumnus and business owner working in Beijing, brought the opportunity to the attention of city and school leaders late last year, school officials said.
The program was funded by Americans Promoting Study Abroad, a non-profit founded by Americans living in China.
Several sponsors also helped supplement travel needs for the students, including Suffolk Construction's Red and Blue Foundation, Brooks Brothers, the Boston Scholar Athlete Program, New Balance, and the Boston Celtics.
The students received donated wardrobes and gear: including sneakers, basketball shoes, duffle bags, jerseys, warm-up jackets, basketballs, and eight navy, single-breasted, notched-lapel suit jackets to wear during pre- and post-game press conferences during the tournament.
