Basketball Australia forced into damage limitation as Opals threaten to boycott training
Basketball Australia has been forced into damage limitation after Liz Cambage and Jenna O’Hea warned of an Opals training boycott over the organisation’s delayed Black Lives Matter protests response.
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Aussie players have threatened to boycott training with the nation’s basketball’s women’s team over a lacklustre response from Basketball Australia over its support for black and indigenous players.
Opals captain Jenna O’Hea and WNBA star Liz Cambage both posted Instagram messages calling out Basketball Australia’s silence over the Black Lives Matter protests.
Australian sports have backed in that cause in the past week, with AFL stars kneeling at the Richmond-Hawthorn game on Thursday night for the second weekend in a row.
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But Basketball Australia only posted a supportive message on Thursday on social media after those threats, followed by posting the statement on its website.
Cambage’s post read: “We as an Opals playing group stand in support of our Black and Indigenous players and will not be training until we see support and change from our sporting organisation @basketballaus!! We say enough is enough!! #blacklivesmatter.”
O’Hea posted an identical message, with Basketball Australia then releasing a statement about the campaign.
“Basketball Australia (has) reinforced our solidarity with black communities, here at home and around the world, in proclaiming that Black Lives Matter,” it stated.
“Basketball Australia is committed to eliminating racism and discrimination, and acknowledges we all have a role in building a more tolerant and just society.
“We are in dialogue with the Opals’ playing group on this significant global and local matter.
“Under the leadership of our Co-Chairs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members Paul Vandenbergh and Cilla Preece we have developed a Reconciliation Action Plan which is now with Reconciliation Australia. We have also commenced the development of a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, which highlights cultural diversity as a key pillar of our framework.
“This is important work and it takes time. It requires difficult conversations and it must be supported by action.”
Liv Simmons, the sister of NBA star Ben Simmons, last week called out Basketball Australia for racism and its silence on the issue of indigenous and black athletes.
“I want to call out Basketball Australia. Plain and simple, you guys have always been racist, we saw it first hand with my brother, it’s why he left the country, let’s be honest.
“I never enjoyed playing basketball in Australia because the coaches are racist, the system is racist.
“BA want to promote black players like Ben Simons and Liz Cambage and Dante Exum and Thon Maker, you want to profit off our black athletes but you don’t want to stand with us.”
Originally published as Basketball Australia forced into damage limitation as Opals threaten to boycott training