Red Energy Arena will host a major tournament in September featuring all ten of Australia’s national basketball teams.
An official announcement confirming the event’s location was made at the stadium on Wednesday, May 27th, with Premier Jacinta Allan, basketball legend Andrew Gaze and NBL CEO David Stevenson all in attendance.
Speaking at a media conference, Ms Allan said that securing the pre-season NBL Blitz tournament was recognition that Bendigo has “the great infrastructure” to support such an event.
“You can only bring ten NBL teams to a regional centre if you’ve invested in the infrastructure, and we’ve certainly done that here at the Red Energy Arena,” Ms Allan said.
She also spoke of the impact that the Blitz would have on the region’s junior basketballers.
“It means bringing and giving access to young people to ignite their passion, to keep them going at the sport, and to see that anything’s possible,” she said.
“You can be a young kid here in Bendigo, and go on to compete on the international stage like we are seeing with our own Dyson Daniels [who is] doing that right now.”
(Photo: NBL/Facebook)
Mr Gaze said the event was not only about inspiring kids to be “the next Tess Madgen or Dash Daniels” – referring to the Melbourne United player and Dyson’s younger brother – but also inspiring them just to play the game.
“And at this community centre here, it goes beyond just elite level basketball which will be demonstrated in this tournament… it’s also about locals being active, wanting to participate and play this great game,” Mr Gaze said.
He also praised Red Energy Arena as an “amazing” facility.
“From someone who grew up at the old Albert Park basketball stadium, which is an old army warehouse storage facility that had an asbestos roof and was converted with makeshift courts, and now to see the [facilities] that these superstar players have to play in, it’s very, very humbling.”
Meantime, Mr Stevenson spoke of the economic impact the event would have on Bendigo, while also thanking the state government and Visit Victoria for making the event possible.
“We know that this is going to be a moment not to be missed for everyone to come and see the greatest basketball players across Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
The NBL Blitz is set to begin on the evening of September 2nd, with ten games to be played at Red Energy Arena across five consecutive days.
More information and tickets can be found by heading to the NBL’s official website.
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