The
tournament is the most important basketball event ever held in this
country and will take place in the Auckland region from July 2-12,
2009, bringing 16 teams from the five FIBA zones.
Scouts from all over the world will attend and many of the players on display will go on to become international and NBA stars.
Pool
games will be spread between the North Shore Events Centre and ASB
Stadium, while the finals will be played at Vector Arena.
Basketball New Zealand chief executive Dale Stephens says the partnership between the national body and city councils has been crucial to the success of the bid.
“Establishing
partnerships with central and local government was an aspect of our bid
that really impressed basketball’s international body, FIBA,” says Mr
Stephens.
Auckland city mayor John Banks says he is thrilled Auckland has won the bid to host the 2009 championships.
“A
team effort has allowed us to secure this international tournament,” he
says. “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate Auckland’s ability to
host major events.”
North Shore city mayor Andrew Williams says his council is pleased to be working closely with Auckland City and Basketball New Zealand on this major sporting event.
“It’s
a great example of regional cooperation, using excellent facilities
provided by both cities,” he says. “We look forward to welcoming
basketballers from all over the world to enjoy outstanding competition
and excellent hospitality.”
The
three organisations will now work together with other key partners to
deliver a memorable event for players, officials, fans and spectators.
“FIBA
regard this competition as the most exciting on their international
calendar,” says Stephens. “Raising funds for any sport is tough, but
the international reach of this event should prove appealing to
sponsors.”
The
tournament will provide a significant challenge for the local
basketball community. As the host nation, New Zealand gains automatic
entry for the NZ Junior Tall Blacks, who got their first taste of
international basketball at the prestigious Albert Schweitzer
Tournament in Germany last month.
The
juniors won just one of their six outings to finish 14th and now know
they must improve dramatically to be competitive at that level. They
will spend eight weeks based at the NZ Breakers facility and playing in
the Conference Basketball League as they prepare for the Oceania
Championships against Australia in August.
The
championships should prove to be an invaluable stepping stone for the
next generation as they aspire to full Tall Black status.
Local administrators will also look to raise their game to provide the infrastructure for an event of this magnitude.
“This
event gives us the chance to raise all aspects of basketball to the
highest international standards,” says Stephens. “Our referees,
officials and event managers will benefit as much as our athletes and
our development programmes from such a huge opportunity.”