Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13726)           
UK only International

Strategic partnership formed to boost Scottish basketball

By Matthew Campelli    31 Aug 2016
Glasgow Rocks will play a major role in the Scottish player pathway, alongside Caledonia Pride / Andy Sidders / Demotix/Demotix/Press Association Images

Several stakeholders – including sportscotland and basketballscotland – have partnered up in an attempt to give the sport a shot in the arm ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Government funding body sportscotland has ploughed an additional £280,000 (US$366,772, €329,070) into basketballscotland’s performance programme over the next two years to improve “on-court performance”.

The partnership, which also includes British Basketball League (BBL) franchise Glasgow Rocks and Women’s BBL (WBBL) team Caledonia Pride, is also targeting larger attendances for matches and increased grassroots engagement.

Extra money will go towards the hiring of two full-time national team coaches to work within both franchise teams, “linking professional basketball to the national teams for the first time”.

As a result sportscotland hopes that the majority of national team players remain in Scotland to play league basketball, allowing players to spend more time together training, and subsequently perform well in international competition ahead of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in two year’s time.

Sportscotland has already ploughed £2m (US$2.6m, €2.4m) into the sport over the 2013-2017 cycle.

Barry Lang, basketballscotland head of basketball, said the move would give the Scottish basketball team a “competitive advantage” as it aims to qualify for the Commonwealth Games.

“Our top Scottish prospects will have the chance to train and play together on a daily basis, improve their technical skills and physical capabilities in a professional environment,” he added.

The Commonwealth Games will be one of the few events that Scotland will be eligible to perform in as a sole country following the British Basketball Federation’s (BBF) move to bring all home nations under the Team GB banner from October.

Glasgow Rocks owner Ian Reid said there was now an opportunity to build interest in the sport and grow the participation base in Scotland. He said that his club had helped introduce more than 100,000 young people to the sport over the decade.

“As a consequence, Scotland now has a significantly higher player base and it makes sense to ensure that there is a pathway for talented individuals to progress to the highest level,” he added. “This agreement enables that vision and all of us at the Glasgow Rocks will be working towards achieving this.”

sportscotland  basketballscotland  funding  basketball  Glasgow Rocks 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news

Company profile

Company profile: Perfect Gym Solutions S.A.
Perfect Gym is a global software provider specialising in fitness and recreation facility management solutions. Trusted by over 1,500+ sites across 55+ countries, our scalable platform caters to a diverse array of businesses.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Panatta to showcase innovation at major fitness and bodybuilding events in 2024
Panatta will consolidate its global presence throughout 2024 by attending a host of major industry events around the globe.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

11-14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Centre , Cologne, Germany
22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
More diary dates