The Ballarat Sports Events Centre has secured its first national level match for championship points, with a Women’s National Basketball League showdown locked in for December this year.
Bendigo Spirit will take on reigning WNBL champions the Canberra Capitals at the new centre in Round 8 of the 2019-20 WNBL season on Friday 6 December at 7pm.
City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh said the news demonstrated that the investment in the centre and Council’s strategic partnership with Basketball Ballarat continued to pay dividends for the city.
“Ballarat Sports Events Centre has put Ballarat back on the map as a destination for major indoor sports events,” Cr McIntosh said.
“The City of Ballarat will also continue to closely engage with our local accommodation providers and hospitality industry to ensure Ballarat is providing a fantastic experience for the visitor but to also ensure this increased business flows into our local visitor economy.”
Basketball Ballarat is a proud supporter of Council’s Active Women and Girls’ Strategy, which provides a tailored response to priority issues that might be constraining female involvement in sport or physical activity.
“The strategy was developed to create opportunities for female participation in sport, so all women and girls are given the best opportunity to participate in the sporting environment,” Cr McIntosh said.
Today’s announcement is the latest in a string of major tournaments and events for the Ballarat Sports Events Centre.
On Monday, Basketball Ballarat revealed the centre would host the U/18 Australian Championships for Men and Women, together with the Kevin Coombs Cup for Wheelchair Athletes, in April next year.
Earlier this year, Basketball Victoria announced the centre, along with the Minerdome, would host the U16 and U18 Division Three and Four Championships over the next three years, along with the Under-14 Country Championships in 2020 and the Under-12 Country Championships in 2022.
