Experienced basketball administrator Gary Shipway named the new chairman of Darwin basketball

ONE of the Territory’s longest serving basketball administrators Gary Shipway has taken over the reins as the new chairman of Darwin basketball

Gary Shipway (middle) has been named the new chairman of Darwin Basketball.

ONE of the Territory’s longest serving basketball administrators Gary Shipway has taken over the reins as the new chairman of Darwin basketball.

Shipway has been associated with Darwin basketball since 1981 as a league player and coach, and is currently the Essington league men’s coach.

The DBA life member replaces retired chair Sarah Rummery who was in the role for the past four years.

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Shipway has highlighted expanding the association’s current five court Marrara facility as high on the DBA’s agenda going forward with interest in the sport growing.

“Our outgoing chair has done a great job and we have a good front office which has guided the association to a strong position,” Shipway said.

“So much so that we see our facility bursting at the seams and need to expand to accommodate all the young people entering the sport.

“It’s a juggling act to accommodate all our junior divisions and we are now having to schedule games late into Saturday evenings because we have so many players taking up the sport.

Shipway is also on a working party exploring the possibility of a Darwin side entering the NBL1. Such a team has become a real possibility in recent years with interstate interest in Darwin to join.

Gary Shipway has been named the new chairman of Darwin Basketball.

And the wave of talented Darwin youngsters such as Freddy Webb, James Toohey, Joel De Barros and Will Burton who have proven themselves interstate has only increased that interest.

“It all comes down to dollars and viability, but for the first time we have had serious interstate interest in Darwin being part of the national stage,” Shipway said.

“We have the proven talent already playing for interstate clubs and we have a bucket load of talented youngsters coming through to feed off.

“People think Indigenous athletes and AFL, but people forget that AFL greats like Michael Long and Daryl White were super basketballers.”

Shipway outlined one of the biggest challenges facing basketball was keeping females in the sport.

He also listed strengthening the umpiring base and encouraging more people to take up coaching as crucial for the further development of the sport.

“We need coaches and coaches keep players in the sport, you can’t expect kids to play if they have no one to coach them and help them improve,” he said.

“It starts by having coaches at junior level teaching the basic fundamentals so that the progression in the sport gets easier. We’ll be having a good look at how we can help there.”