FOR a pair of America-based siblings it will be Brussels that is the city of brotherly love when they join forces in the Wales Under-20s basketball squad.

The Kilmartins, 19-year-old Ryan and 17-year-old Alex, are set to be in the same team on the court for the first time and it will be in the red vest of the land of their mother.

The pair are from Charlotte, North Carolina, but their mum Jane is a former Miss Wales from Newport and they make regular trips over the Atlantic to see their relatives.

Their roots in the Principality have led to them being selected for Wales at various age groups and now the time has come for them to unite with the Under-20s.

Over the next three days the court in Belgium will be new territory for the brothers, who are more used to being rivals in the back yard in fiercely contested one-on-ones.

“I don’t think there is a family out there that doesn’t have a few scuffles when playing sport!” said Ryan, a 6 ft 4 ins guard who plays for Appalachian State University.

“I suppose there is going to be a small connection with somebody you know and you are aware of all their tendencies and where they are going to be. But at the end of the day will just be another teammate and we are looking forward to playing international basketball.

“Not many people get to travel like this, see different parts of the world and meet different people playing a game they love.”

The pair trained at LivingWell in Newport to prepare for the tournament and they will hope to make as big an impact on the continent as dad Sean, who played professionally in European.

“It is exciting that we will get to play together for the first time but it is more exciting that we will get to play in this tournament,” said Alex, a small forward at Charlotte High School, is two inches taller than his brother and still growing. “It is a totally different style of play over here and I guess it is much faster in America.”

And their Welsh teammates will be hoping they are up to speed in Brussels.