THE Australian men\u2019s basketball team, the Boomers, are heading to Red Energy Arena in late February.<\/p>\n
The squad will be in town to take on South Korea as part of the qualifying rounds for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.<\/p>\n
Premier and Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, welcomed the national team\u2019s return to town.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love seeing the Boomers play in Bendigo and the team can be sure fans will get behind them as they compete for qualification in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The national men\u2019s team was last in Bendigo in August 2022 when they took on and defeated Iran 98 to 68.<\/p>\n
Thousands of fans turned out for the event and team coach Brian Goorjian said spectator support was an important part of games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always great playing at home, there is nothing like it, I love it and so do the team, you lift for the crowd, and I know Bendigo are mad basketball fans so it will be a great atmosphere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The greater Bendigo has a history of producing top basketball talent, with players like Dyson Daniels taken at number eight in the 2022 NAB draft and now playing key minutes with the New Orleans Pelicans.<\/p>\n
Basketball Australia CEO Matt Scriven praised the region\u2019s talent pool and facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cBendigo is a basketball city, it has produced international stars such as Matthew Dellavedova, Kristi Harrower and Dyson Daniels and has a stadium that meets the standards to host FIBA games,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The game, set for Thursday 22 February is being paid for through the State Government\u2019s Visit Victoria program and the Events Fund.<\/p>\n
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said there were many benefits to hosting the game in Bendigo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud to bring the Boomers to Bendigo to give local fans a chance to see their heroes in action while boosting the local economy and putting the region on the global stage through international broadcasts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Australian men\u2019s basketball team, the Boomers, are heading to Red Energy Arena in late February. The squad will be in town to take on South Korea as part of the qualifying rounds for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025. Premier and Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, welcomed the national team\u2019s return to town. \u201cWe […]<\/p>\n