B-ball

In what is sure to be a sell-out at UniSC Arena, the Sunshine Coast is one of three host venues for Basketball Australia's new series: Trans-Tasman Throwdown.

The series will see Australia and New Zealand’s national basketball sides descend on Adelaide on Wednesday, May 7, before heading northeast to the Sunshine Coast on Friday, May 9 culminating in the final game across the Tasman in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton) on Sunday, May 11.

Drawing the Boomers and the Opals to UniSC Arena is pretty exciting for local basketball fans and aspiring athletes who will get to see the men’s and women’s national teams in the flesh after their Olympic campaigns in Paris last year, which saw the Opals win a Bronze medal.?

Sunshine Coast Council have sponsored this high profile event for a number of reasons.

With the Sunshine Coast proposed to host preliminary basketball matches for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, this partnership with Basketball Australia is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our existing facilities and our capability to host high-profile events.

And from a tourism perspective, New Zealand remains our top target for international tourism with year-round direct flights from the Sunshine Coast now available, so the Tall Ferns and Tall Blacks will feel welcomed and right at home with plenty of fan support.

I got to meet legends Trish Fallon and Andrew Bogut (pictured with me above) and both spoke of the need for more facilities to cope with the huge wait lists across Australia just for kids to get in and try the sport at a grass roots level. Realising that made me feel privileged that I get to see my nephew play when I'm down in Brisbane. Watching him develop as a player within a team is kind of special. Team sport at a young age can play a big part in personality and leadership development for later challenges in the life for sure.

I can't wait to wear my green and yellow into the UniSC Arena on May 9. #AussieAussieAussie

Get your tickets here: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=TTBASKET25