BALLARAT has secured its second major junior basketball championship for this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Basketball Victoria Country Club Championships will be played in Ballarat for the next two years.
The tournament, which will be in October this year and next year, caters for junior boys and girls in under-12 to under-18 age groups. Bendigo hosted the event last year.
Ballarat Basketball administration and events manager Mark Valentine welcomed the championship.
“We staged the national under-14 girls’ club championships in 2013 and in April this year we’ll have the national under-18 championships and Kevin Coombes Cup for wheelchair athletes,” he said.
“What this is saying to us at Ballarat Basketball, and to the Ballarat community, is that we have the volunteer-base and the backing of the city and Ballarat Regional
Tourism to manage such important championships.”
Ballarat Basketball chief executive officer Peter Eddy was equally enthused by the announcement.
“Ballarat’s reputation for hosting major championships continues to grow,” he said.
“The potential for the future will be limitless once the proposed expansion for the Wendouree Sports and Events Centre becomes a reality.”
The Country Junior Club Championships started 36 years ago.
Ballarat’s Celtic Tigers are the most successful club in the history tournament, winning the aggregate 11 times.
Pivot City from Geelong is next best with its name on the Bowman Shield eight times – including the past four.
Exies Acmy (twice) and Saints (once) have also won the shield.
Some 120 teams will compete in the two-day event, covering Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Mildura, Maffra, Warragul, Traralgon, Shepparton and Lara.