The true cost of shutdown on Coast basketball

All our courts are closed and now Double Dribble takes a look at what that means for basketballers.

WELL, this week saw all Gold Coast basketball activities for junior, senior, representative, walking and wheelchair competitions suspended.

Games and training sessions should have all stopped and I believe most school programs are following suit shortly.

GOLD COAST SPORTING GOSSIP

With this suspension of all programs, hope remains that the curve being flattened will help reduce the rate of coronavirus infection spread.

Obviously all contact sport has a high risk of spreading this virus per information we have seen.

Gold Coast Waves under-12 girls basketball team are among those now off the court.

Many questions have been asked to the basketball offices on the Gold Coast.

When will we return? Does the season finish now? I still want to play, can I go to the courts? Lots of these questions are up in the air and state and national bodies don’t have the answers yet.

EMOTIONAL TOLL OF VIRUS ON COAST ATHLETES

Lots of families have paid money for seasons that have just started or paid yearly registrations and want to know what is happening.

At this stage it is hoped everything will resume in a short period of time.

If this changes, decisions will be needed to be made.

Both Gold Coast associations will keep their members up to date with any relevant information.

In regards to international competitions, Olympic qualifying games for basketball are scheduled in June in Europe; at this stage they have not been suspended or cancelled.

New Zealand national coach and Gold Coaster Pero Cameron has said that they are planning for the Olympics to still take place at this stage and haven’t received any information to not prepare.

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It seems strange to me that the NBL finals, which were three games into the five-game series, finished early due to concerns of player welfare.

Yet the AFL and NRL seasons are just beginning and forging ahead. Take from that what you will. Strange days indeed.