Casey to host 2022 Australian U14 Championships
The announcement is part of a two-year agreement that will see the Casey Basketball Association host Australia’s most promising junior basketballers at the Australian Under-14 Club Championships over consecutive years (2021 & 2022) at Casey Stadium.
The Australian Under-14 Club Championships showcases 48 girls and boys club and association representative teams from across the country competing for the title of national champion. Teams qualify for the annual six-day tournament through their state or territory championships and competitions.
The prestigious 50-year-old tournament allows talented younger athletes to further develop and display their skills against the country’s best players in their age group and provides an important early step in the development pathway for aspiring junior talent.
Many of Australia’s leading basketballers have competed in the event in their formative years on the road to eventual state and national team representation and professional playing careers at home in the Chemist Warehouse WNBL and NBL or abroad.
“With a passionate base of basketball supporters, a great stadium and significant support from the local community, Basketball Australia felt Casey was deserving of the opportunity to host their first major basketball event,” said Basketball Australia Executive General Manager of Basketball, Paul Maley.
“Casey Stadium will provide a fresh and exciting backdrop worthy of the young talent on display and we fully expect Casey Basketball to deliver a fun and memorable experience for all involved.”
As hosts, the Casey Cavaliers will receive automatic qualification to the tournament and will make their first appearance since 2015, where they are hoping to leverage their home-court advantage over the next two years into their first-ever U14 Club Championship title.
In response to the announcement, Tammy Bower, General Manager of Casey Basketball Association said Casey Basketball is grateful to Basketball Australia and the Victorian Government for the opportunity to host the Under-14 Club Championships in back-to-back years.
“This will be the first time a basketball event of this scale has been held in the City of Casey and we look forward to making these championships one the clubs, families, and spectators will remember forever,” said Bower. “Our state-of-the-art ten court facility allows us to cater for the combined event, showcasing both girls and boys teams performing at their best.”
“We would like to thank the Victorian Government and the City of Casey Council for their financial support of the 2021 and 2022 Under-14 Club Championships and the chance to showcase our region, facilities, and talent to the nation’s basketball community. Without them, we would not have been able to bring this fantastic competition to our city.”
In addition to allowing local players to showcase their abilities in front of their families and friends, as well as the wider basketball community, the City of Casey can expect over 10,000 spectators to visit the stadium and surrounding areas throughout the week in what is expected to be a major boost to local tourism.
“The announcement by Basketball Australia is a fantastic win for Casey and speaks volumes about the type of facility that Casey Stadium is,” said Steve Coldham, Director Community Life, City of Casey.
“The City of Casey prides itself on providing high-quality facilities and look forward to welcoming visitors from across Australia into our municipality when the first event takes place in September/October 2021. This event illustrates the strong pathway from junior domestic competition through to representative sides available in Casey.”
Event Details:
2021 Australian Under-14 Club Championships: 27 September – 2 October 2021
2022 Australian Under-14 Club Championships: 26 September – 1 October 2022
Location:
Casey Stadium
65 Berwick-Cranbourne Rd
Cranbourne East, VIC, 3977
Competition Format:
24 girls and 24 boys teams will be split into six pools of four teams where they will play a round robin competition. The top two teams in each pool then play for the Championship Division and the teams placed third and fourth in each pool compete for the Shield Division.
Basketball Australia (BA) has announced today that the 2022 Australian Under-14 Club Championships will be held at Casey Stadium in the City of Casey in Melbourne, Victoria from Monday 26 September – Saturday 1 October 2022.
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