British Basketball receives government funding boost
By Peter Rutzler
Last Updated: 25/05/18 4:27pm
British Basketball will receive extra UK Sport funding to ensure it can compete in international competition this summer.
The sport has faced a cash crisis in recent months with British Basketball warning in February that it may have to withdraw funding for its national teams due to a lack of cash.
But the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has now confirmed that £195,000 will be given to British Basketball to ensure GB athletes can compete in World Cup qualifying matches in June and July.
Minister for Sport and Civil Society Tracey Crouch said: "Basketball has the potential to do a great deal of good, particularly by inspiring young people in our towns and cities to play sport.
"This is an exceptional investment to ensure our teams can fulfil their international commitments this year.
"However, I have been very clear that basketball bodies must work together to secure the future of the sport."
A further £305,000 has been ring-fenced to ensure international commitments can continue in 2018/19 but this will only be made available if British Basketball can demonstrate a sustainable financial plan to support its athletes in the future.
Former UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner was appointed interim chair of British Basketball earlier this month, tasked with leading the organisation out of its financial crisis.
Warner said: "Today's funding news is extremely welcome and will ensure the GB Senior men can compete in their two FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Scotland this summer.
"A lot of work has been undertaken with UK Sport and others to get us to this point, and I am confident they understand the direction of travel for GB Basketball to help ensure an even more coherent commercial and pathway structure for the sport."
The stipulations attached to the new funding include an expectation that Basketball show the "inspirational social impact" of the investment, focusing on the sport's "unique reach into young, urban and diverse communities".
Despite receiving no UK Sport funding, 174,500 people aged 14-25 participate in the sport each week according to Sport England, a figure higher than tennis (131,300), cricket (110,900) and golf (64,600), while over half of adult participants are from an ethnic minority.
GB Senior Men's captain Kieron Achara said: "On behalf of the team, I'd like to thank UK Sport and British Basketball for supporting us with the funding.
"It means we can take to the court this summer and do our nation proud while inspiring our youth that they can indeed do the same.
"There is so much potential in British hoops and the important thing now is to get funding into the sport to help it grow and embed the right structures to support the teams. With the new interim chairman at GB Basketball and this news from UK Sport the signs are very positive."
The new funding is not part of UK Sport's existing Olympic and Paralympic world-class programme investment, meaning there will be no Olympic medal target attached to it.
Basketball has not UK Sport funding in recent years due to their focus on sports deemed most likely to achieve international medals.
UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl said: "It is disappointing that British Basketball has found itself in this situation, faced with significant financial challenges, but it is important that we put the athletes first so we are pleased to step in to manage this one-off support package for the sport.
"It is vital British Basketball now demonstrates it can clearly deliver on its commitments and use the impact of its national teams to inspire participation, pride and wellbeing across the country, particularly in communities that it has a unique ability to reach."
