17 Dec 2008

Basketball begins respond tp funding cut

6:37 pm on 17 December 2008

Basketball New Zealand says SPARC's $300,000 snub to the women's game presents a huge challenge.

They've been meeting in Wellington to hash out plans to improve the development programme and showcase competitions domestically.

The chief executive Dale Stephens says a paper outlining strategies and initiatives to counter it will be presented to the board early next month for endorsement, with a detailed announcement at February's annual meeting.

Stephens say the key thing is they're not out of the picture for funding outside the next 12 months.

He says they have to show SPARC they're setting up sustainable projects, such as the the National Women's Academy, which tipped-off last weekend, with trials at the North Shore YMCA.

Another initiative is a national Women's Basketball Championship, a three-tournament competition, expected to start next year with eight teams committed and another two possible.