Basketball Qld to launch new Indigenous Pathways Program in coming months
A new basketball program, which could help young Queensland Indigenous athletes reach the bright lights of the NBA just like Patty Mills and Nate Jawai, is on its way. READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE.
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A new basketball program, which could help young Indigenous Queensland athletes play on the world’s biggest stage like Australian NBA superstar Patty Mills, is on its way.
Basketball Queensland will launch the new Indigenous Pathways Program in the coming months after receiving a giant boost from a $365,000 Federal Government grant.
The allocation of funds is part of the $19 million designated towards the Driving Social Inclusion Through Sport and Physical Activity initiative.
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The Basketball Queensland Indigenous Pathways Program (BQIPP) will deliver a range of socially inclusive sport and physical activity initiatives to increase participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in sport throughout the state.
The program will target those vulnerable and disadvantaged people, who live in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Under the proposal, targeted regions across the state will receive specialised BQ activities and services, strengthening the number of pathways for First Nations people to be involved within the sport.
Basketball Queensland CEO Graham Burns said preliminary work for this program started before the COVID-19 pandemic after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Australian Indigenous Basketball (AIB) and also by supporting the AIB National Tournament in Cairns last December.
“In addition to increasing the number and capability of active Indigenous players, coaches and referees in Queensland, under the BQIPP we will also establish a Reconciliation Action Plan advisory committee and work towards establishing our first ever BQ RAP,” he said.
“It’s important as a leading sports organisation in Queensland that we provide education and training to reduce racial discrimination and promote greater diversity within our sport and that’s also an objective of the BQIPP.
“Another key objective of the BQIPP is to identify talented Indigenous players, coaches and referees and work on accelerating their potential to become elite.”
Part of the funding will go towards hiring an Indigenous pathways manager and Indigenous pathways officer to help BQ and AIB deliver the program.
Almost 50 per cent of all Indigenous players, who have played in the NBL, including the likes of former NBA player Nate Jawai, Michael and Chris Cedar, Kerry Williams and many more, have come from Queensland.
Federal Youth and Sport Minister, Richard Colbeck, said it was important for all Australians to have opportunities to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
Current Australian Indigenous Basketball president and former NBL player, Tyson Demos, congratulated BQ for launching its new inclusive Indigenous initiative.
“It’s terrific to see Basketball Queensland continuing their focus on Indigenous engagement and putting a plan in place to achieve positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the state,” he said.
“The organisation is to be commended for being a national leader in this field and Australian Indigenous Basketball will continue to support BQ with their endeavours in this space.”
“Hopefully through the BQIPP we will see more Indigenous talent unearthed from remote Queensland communities and possibly the next Nathan Jawai on the big stage.”
Basketball Queensland will advertise for an Indigenous pathways manager and Indigenous pathways officer in the coming weeks.