BENDIGO’S biggest three-days of basketball will be even busier in 2019.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bendigo Junior Classic, held each year on the Australia Day weekend, will this weekend feature a record number of games.
It follows confirmation the tournament has attracted 264 teams from associations across Victorian and South Australia.
They will contest a record 733 games at Bendigo Stadium and other venues across Bendigo, up from last year’s total of 680 games.
Bendigo Stadium Limited ‘s general manager of sport Ben Harvey said teams would compete in age groups ranging from under 12s to under 21’s, including a newly created championship division.
“That (championship division) will be a bit of a point of difference for associations,” he said.
“They will be four, fully-timed, eight-minute quarter games, replicating the Friday night VJBL (Victorian Junior basketball League) games.” Basketball in Australia is booming we are excited to have this tournament in Bendigo for the 41st Bendigo Junior Classic
The men’s championship division will feature six teams, including Bendigo Braves, Bacchus Marsh Lions, Benalla Breakers, Port Fairy Pacers and two teams from Corio Bay.
In another first for the long-running tournament, games on three courts will be livestreamed for the first time.
Host association Bendigo will be aiming to maintain its stronghold on the competition.
Seven Braves teams – including their under-20 boys and top under-18 and under-16 girls and boys – ended last year’s tournament as champions.
Another five Braves teams reached grand finals.
READ MORE:
“Coming out of the school holidays, you always want to establish yourselves as the premier team and win your home tournament,” Harvey said.
“We (the Braves) also want to get ourselves ready for the state championships in February and some of them in April.
“Basketball is huge in Bendigo right now; we now have 460 teams playing in the Bendigo domestic competition.
“That’s record – 20 up from last season.”
Coming out of the school holidays, you always want to establish yourselves as the premier team and win your home tournament.
- Ben Harvey
The Classic will serves as an opportunity to honour the contribution of some of the stalwarts of Bendigo basketball through the naming of the trophies for each division.
Those recognised include Lorna Lucas (under-18 girls), Don Hester (under-18 boys) and John Kelly (under-21 boys).
“These names have contributed so much to basketball and we will continue to name awards after life members, “ said Harvey.
More than 140 refereees will also take part in the championships, with the Paul Harrower Award to be presented to those officiating the respective top under-18 division grand finals.
Harrower was the association’s referee supervisor for more than 30 years.
Harvey added a great team effort from stadium staff and volunteers to stage the event would be headed superbly by tournament director Martin Spottiswood and tournament co-ordinator Nathan Williams.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.