Strategic partnership formed to boost Scottish basketball
Several stakeholders – including sportscotland and basketballscotland – have partnered up in an attempt to give the sport a shot in the arm ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Government funding body sportscotland has ploughed an additional £280,000 (US$366,772, €329,070) into basketballscotland’s performance programme over the next two years to improve “on-court performance”.
The partnership, which also includes British Basketball League (BBL) franchise Glasgow Rocks and Women’s BBL (WBBL) team Caledonia Pride, is also targeting larger attendances for matches and increased grassroots engagement.
Extra money will go towards the hiring of two full-time national team coaches to work within both franchise teams, “linking professional basketball to the national teams for the first time”.
As a result sportscotland hopes that the majority of national team players remain in Scotland to play league basketball, allowing players to spend more time together training, and subsequently perform well in international competition ahead of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in two year’s time.
Sportscotland has already ploughed £2m (US$2.6m, €2.4m) into the sport over the 2013-2017 cycle.
Barry Lang, basketballscotland head of basketball, said the move would give the Scottish basketball team a “competitive advantage” as it aims to qualify for the Commonwealth Games.
“Our top Scottish prospects will have the chance to train and play together on a daily basis, improve their technical skills and physical capabilities in a professional environment,” he added.
The Commonwealth Games will be one of the few events that Scotland will be eligible to perform in as a sole country following the British Basketball Federation’s (BBF) move to bring all home nations under the Team GB banner from October.
Glasgow Rocks owner Ian Reid said there was now an opportunity to build interest in the sport and grow the participation base in Scotland. He said that his club had helped introduce more than 100,000 young people to the sport over the decade.
“As a consequence, Scotland now has a significantly higher player base and it makes sense to ensure that there is a pathway for talented individuals to progress to the highest level,” he added. “This agreement enables that vision and all of us at the Glasgow Rocks will be working towards achieving this.”
sportscotland basketballscotland funding basketball Glasgow RocksUAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Designing an eco hotel for the Galapagos Islands that allowed the stunning natural surroundings to take centre stage while minimising its impact on the land presented its own unique set of challenges, Ecuadorian architect Humberto Plaza tells Kathryn Hudson