Fitting legacy for 'elder statesman'

A legacy in Sunshine Coast basketball seems assured for Sid Page.

Sid Page has been awarded life membership with Basketball Queensland. Photo: Warren Lynam/184653

A legacy in Sunshine Coast basketball seems assured for Sid Page.

The Maroochydore RSL Clippers’ chairman was honoured with life membership of Basketball Queensland at an awards dinner last Saturday.

A fixture at the Maroochydore Basketball Association since its formation in 1972, Page was thrilled to be recognised for his services to the sport and the club.

“To me, it’s an honour to be included with people I have looked up to for a very long time,” he said.

More than 35 years with Maroochydore has made Page an icon at the club.

“It’s nice to be thought of as a bit of an elder statesman,” he quipped.

Maroochydore Clippers men’s team coach, Warwick Meehl, believed Page thoroughly deserved his recognition from the state body.

“He’s fantastic,” Meehl said.

“He is really the foundation that the club is built upon.”

Meehl believed Page’s energy and commitment to the Clippers was second to none.

“Sid recently presented every person who has ever played for the Clippers with a cap,” Meehl said. “The feedback on that from past players has been fantastic.

“He has really set about preserving the history of the club.”

The Page family boasts three generations of basketball players, with Sid’s children and grandchildren playing in Australia and overseas.

Page’s grandson Jorden has been invited to train with the Australian Boomers. He also captained the Queensland under-20 men’s team, which claimed the national title this year.

As for the future of basketball in Australia, Page believes the outlook was good – as long as club commitments did not continue to affect national teams.

“Basketball is getting a bit like soccer,” Page said.

“A lot of our best players are over in Europe and it’s becoming harder to put our best team together when playing for the country.”

Originally published as Fitting legacy for 'elder statesman'