Sports minister just cut funding to basketball via SASI, what do you think?

No confidence in current leadership

Why does the Gov give soo much money to soccer!?
I just don't get it...

because when the socceroos play Iran in aus they get 100,000 people there. basketball would only get 10 - 20 odd thousand may be more if the full strength AUS played iran.

Anon.. I would give Kristina Keneally a chance, we are in good hands, she just put her feet under the desk. I am pretty sure with her political connections and understanding of the political landscape, $$ will come BA's way

Kristina will do a brilliant job and her good looks will make progress.

People on here really need to stop making comparisons in funding between soccer and basketball in Australia. As of now, soccer simply is more popular than basketball. More popularity increases numbers, increased numbers equates to more money funding it.

Once basketball australia gets their shit together (if they ever do), they'll receive more funding. That funding however will not be at the expense of soccer or any other sport.

If you want to get shirty about government funding for sport at least get shirty about the right issues.

Fed and state and local government funding a reasonably minor facilities extension together like they are here is not unusual or unfair. not is it overtly pro soccer. Its the swings and roundabouts of public funding.

These things happen all the time, in all sports. The recently opened State Basketball/soccer Centre in melbourne tuned in some 31 million in funding from all levels.

The decision by the Federal Government to fund major training facility developments for multiple AFL clubs (professional sports businesses after all...) is far more concerning.

and even worse, the ALP's decision to openly support the "operations" of the new West Sydney Football franchise flies in the face of EVERYTHING federal governments have said for years about how they will fund sport. Likewise the funding support to establish the W league.

Sorry, but the SA issue here is probably not about basketball versus soccer and almost certainly NOT about BSA's competence etc. It may be about a well executed local campaign by local sports groups to deliver funding to a project that has got support at every level, but that happens in basketball too.

Knox, Tamworth, Perth... all have received significant funding recently for basketball, to the tune of probably 50-60 million. Someone told me recently there are 30+ courts under construction in Melbourne at the moment.

Anon #369811

Australian Bureau of Statistics - 4156.0 - Sports and Physical Recreation: A Statistical Overview, Australia, 2011
LATEST ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/12/2011

These are the numbers that drive these sorts of decisions. Bear in mind, these are physical attendances. Adding TV ratings to these just widens the popularity gap between basketball and soccer, I suspect.

Table 5.2 Spectators at selected sporting events(a), By sex - 2009-10

Sport Number('000) Attendance rate(%)
MALES
Australian Rules football 1,660.8 19.3
Horse racing 1,015.3 11.8
Rugby league 969.1 11.2
Motor sports 966.2 11.2
Soccer (outdoor) 584.0 6.8
Cricket (outdoor) 488.2 5.7
Rugby union 366.1 4.2
Harness racing 221.8 2.6
Dog racing 183.5 2.1
Tennis (indoor and outdoor) 122.4 1.4

FEMALES
Australian Rules football 1,171.1 13.2
Horse racing 925.0 10.4
Rugby league 594.7 6.7
Motor sports 456.8 5.2
Soccer (outdoor) 354.8 4.0
Rugby union 209.3 2.4
Cricket (outdoor) 190.5 2.2
Harness racing 190.2 2.1
Tennis (indoor and outdoor) 171.3 1.9
Netball (indoor and outdoor) 123.0 1.4
(a) The top 10 ranked sports for males and females in terms of total attendances in 2009-10.
Source: Spectator Attendance at Sporting Events, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4174.0)

#369816

Actually I have a pretty good understanding of all that.

Your comment about how Knox run their business is pretty irrelevant to be honest. I would suggest that Knox is one of the most poorly run of the Victorian Associations to give its irrelevancy some context.

There is an argument to be said that the structure and fragmentation of the sport in SA is not the best for attracting local support for funding, but that would belie your "100%" argument wouldn't it?

Is there a chance you could be more absolute in your reasoning?

Five million dollars was given to basketball last year for construction.

The WHOLE amount was sunk into the only development with plans and on the table.

That was the Levre Community Centre at Osborne.

Take the drive down to Outer Harbour and feast your eyes on the biggest white elephant since million dollar school toilets were approved by the Federal Government.

Basketball would need 10s of millions to get up to scratch, 1 million would not upgrade 1 basketball stadium to any standard close to what it needs to be. Maybe 1 million can provide care taking and maintenance to 30 to 50 soccer fields, why throw good money after bad that will help 10% of the basketball community when you can directly affect 50-70% of the soccer community with the same money

#369883

By your own acknowledgement BSA only manage 6 facilities, and others are managed by other parties.

So you've confirmed that the structure of the sport is the issue, not BSA then?

The right question is Who is currently lobbying the State and Federal Government with a concrete proposal to build a major new stadium for SA basketball? Who is working with newspapers, talkback radio and local politicians to get the funding? Who is working to push this case everyday day in day out ? Who is working with clubs to get parents and players to call their local MP and council member ? With out this it will NEVER happen.