WASHINGTON: The US Navy warship that carried the body of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to his burial at sea, has been transformed into a basket ball court to host the first college game on Veteran's Day.
President Barack Obama and over 7,000 fans will board USS Carl Vinson to see the first match between Michigan State and North Carolina.
If it rains, an alternate playing area has been constructed on the hangar deck, the Daily Mail reports.
Michigan coach Tom Izzo said he was 'blown away' when boarding the nuclear-powered carrier, which stretches 1,092 feet, weighs 95,000 tons and has four steam catapults that can accelerate a jet fighter from 0 to 165 mph in just more than two seconds.
The game, a rematch of the 2009 national championship game won by North Carolina, was conceived to celebrate Veterans Day and salute active-duty military personnel.
"My first impression when I walked in far superseded whatever I thought it could be, and we've been talking about this for seven or eight years," the paper quoted him, as saying.
North Carolina's No 1 Roy Williams said that he is very excited for playing the match on the carrier.
"This is a celebration. The basketball game, from the tipoff till the final horn, we're going to be working our tails off about the game," the paper quoted Williams, as saying.
"But every single second prior to it and as soon as the game's final horn is over with, we're thinking about hopefully putting a smile on some people's faces who represent our country and serve our country," he added.
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