British Basketball Backed By FIBA, Funding Cut By Sport England

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 155 months ago
British Basketball Backed By FIBA, Funding Cut By Sport England

We're off the ball on this one, sorry: FIBA the international federation for Basketball gave our men and women's basketball teams the official thumbs up on 13th March. A super supportive vote of 17-3 in favour of automatic qualification for London 2012, followed the BOA's backing.

Cue British ballers jumping for joy.

Grassroots basketball isn't having an easy ride though. Ten days after the decision, a letter from Sport England arrives at England Basketball's HQ stating that £1.2m funding is being withdrawn due to adult participation targets not being met.

Will a 2012 groundswell effect on the number of people playing b-ball restore Sport England's support, as our teams bounce it out in the Olympic Arena next year? We will see.

The funding cut does not impact on the British Team which operates under the auspices of British Basketball - an Olympic alliance of England, Scotland and Wales' governing bodies for basketball. On which, as well as backing Olympic British Basketball, FIBA is urging British Basketball to become a formal merger of the home countries' organisations post 2012 to strengthen the game in the UK.

Last Updated 06 April 2011