Ballarat to Host 2022 Aus Champs
The Kevin Coombs Cup for wheelchair athletes will run from Thursday 14 April – Sunday 17 April 2022.
The Australian Under-18 Championships showcases the best of Australia’s future stars as they vie for the title of Australian champion.
Australia’s top women basketballers have all come through the program to forge careers in the WNBL and WNBA including the likes of current day athletes Liz Cambage, Jenna O’Hea, Carla George, Ezi Magbegor, Tess Magden and Alanna Smith.
2020 NBA stars Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills and Ben Simmons have all competed in the Under-18 Championships, along with Australian Boomers representatives and NBL athletes Josh Giddey, Chris Goulding and Isaac Humphries to name but a few.
The Championships provide athletes the opportunity to be seen by national team coaches, professional league and college scouts as well as the entire basketball community.
The Kevin Coombs Cup also offers an opportunity to see the best young talent in wheelchair basketball and provides a glimpse of the next group of Australian Rollers and Gliders.
Basketball Australia Executive General Manager, Paul Maley, commented that it was only fitting that Ballarat were awarded the Australian Under-18 Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup hosting rights in 2022.
“Like everyone, we remain disappointed that the current pandemic meant that this year’s Australian Under-18 Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup scheduled to be contested in Ballarat had to be cancelled.
“We know how much hosting these two national championships means to the community at large, and after such an excellent tender to secure this year’s event during the original process, it was only appropriate that Basketball Australia award Ballarat Basketball and Ballarat Sports Event Centre the hosting rights for 2022.
“Ballarat as a city and Basketball Ballarat as an organisation have a reputation for delivering high quality events, and Australia’s finest emerging basketball talent look forward to descending on regional Victoria in April 2022 for the Australian Under-18 Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup,” concluded Maley.
Ballarat has a long and successful history of running Australian Junior Championships and was due to host the same event in April of this year, however the event was postponed and eventually cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Responding to the announcement, Basketball Ballarat CEO Peter Eddy, said that attracting the Under-18 Championship and Kevin Coombs Cup was a sporting and economic coup for Ballarat.
“The eight-day Australian Championships will attract players and spectators from every state and territory across Australia. The two events in delivering more than 8,530 bed nights to the city guarantees that a broad cross section of our community enjoys the benefits of the event.
“On court, the Ballarat community and visitors to the city will be lucky to witness the best junior basketballers in Australia – many of whom will be vying for future NBL and WNBL team selection and, from that, Australian representation right through to the Olympic and Paralympic levels.
“Basketball Ballarat is grateful to Basketball Australia for the confidence it has shown in our city to award us these two prestigious events. The sports events community has a big role to play in seeking and attracting events back to Ballarat that will help our business sector recover from the pandemic and showcase their sports to the regional community,” Mr. Eddy said.
Last year, Basketball Australia announced that Werribee Basketball secured the hosting rights of the 2021 Australian U18 Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup to be held 10 – 17 April 2021.
Basketball Australia are pleased to announce that the 2022 Australian Under-18 Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup will be hosted by Basketball Ballarat at the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre from Sunday 10 April – Sunday 17 April 2022.
Basketball Australia
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