Basketball juniors have relished the opportunity to play on the Bendigo Stadium’s new show courts, which are also home to the WNBL Bendigo Spirit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bendigo Stadium general manager of sport Ben Harvey said it was fantastic to showcase the new facilities.
“People have come from all over to play at the Bendigo Junior Classic,” Harvey said.
“The tournament has been great so far and it’s the first year we have been able to hold the tournament on our new courts.”
The tournament has attracted 266 teams and will contest a record 733 games at Bendigo Stadium and other venues across Bendigo, up from last year’s total of 680 games.
Horsham Hornets Stalwart Owen Hughan has been involved with basketball for multiple decades and has fond memories of travelling to Bendigo to play.
“I still remember coming up to Bendigo when I was a junior playing in the under-18s at the old asphalt courts at the YMCA facility,” Hughan said.
“Basketball in Bendigo has really grown, I’ve seen it transition from asphalt courts to now, at this world-class stadium.
”Never in my wildest imagination would I ever have thought Bendigo would have such a fantastic basketball facility.
“When children come up to play in Bendigo they will be able to say they have played on the show court, it’s an experience they will always remember.”
The $23-million expansion has a capacity of 4000 people and features three show courts, used for WNBL games.
The Bendigo Junior Classic is a major event for the Horsham Hornets, one that all club members look forward to every year.
“All of the children from Horsham have such a great time playing in Bendigo,” Hughan said.
“Sometimes, because we are all so tied up with all of the competitive aspects of the sport, we forget that this tournament is an opportunity to have a great time and enjoy everyone’s company.”
Last year at the Australia Day long weekend tournament, seven Bendigo Braves teams ended the tournament as champions, with another five reaching grand finals.
The Bendigo Junior Classic’s finals matches will be played on Monday.
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.