Larry Kestelman announces win for Tasmania

In a landmark day for the sport, the 10th licence was formally handed to the state by league boss Larry Kestelman following months of complex negotiations.

TASMANIA’S time in the NBL wilderness has officially ended with the state to rejoin the competition 25 years after last gracing the court.

In a landmark day for the sport, the 10th licence was formally handed to the state by league boss Larry Kestelman following months of complex negotiations with the State Government and the Glenorchy City Council.

Barring a delay to the renovations of the Derwent Entertainment Centre — which are slated to begin at the start of August and will need to be finished within 12 months — Tasmania will feature in the 2021-22 season.

The state has not been represented in the NBL since the Devils folded in 1996.

“It’s a great day for us as the league keeps moving forward from strength to strength and a great day for Tasmania,” Kestelman said.

“Most of all, we’re a family sport. So I love the idea that the kids and the families are going to get something that they can really get behind that’s truly theirs.

“It’s for all of Tasmania. We intend to play as much as we can all around the state.”

After securing the deal by his end of February deadline, Kestelman will swiftly turn his attention to building the new club from the ground up.

He declared the real work is only just beginning, with an 18- month window ambitious but not unattainable.

“It is going to be a very, very tight timeline. So if we get on site [at the DEC], which currently the envisaged time is August 1, we will have exactly 12 months to do something that should really take two years.

“This competition is of a world scale. The league is extraordinarily tough so it will be hard work, but we know what we’re doing.

“We’ve done this before and we will start the actual team and make sure that it’s done the right way and then maybe look for other ownership in the future.

“But we want to do it the right way.

“We will absolutely be looking for quite a number of jobs, you talk about economic benefit, well this is a not going to be the biggest business in Tasmania, but from day one, we need to find everyone.

“A CEO, CMO, chief operating officer. Nothing short of a coach might be a good start.

“There’s a lot of jobs that will be going and will be started as of tomorrow.”

Kestelman confirmed having a strong local flavour will be important, with Tasmanian basketball icons such as Anthony Stewart and Mark Nash and former premier and Chargers president David Bartlett likely to be sounded out.

“I think having as much local knowledge and local presence is a huge benefit.

“But we will only hire people­ that we think will make this into the club that it needs to be. That will be the No.1 priority­.

“The second priority is as local as it can be. So all of those names you mentioned will absolutely be considered and if we can get some players that have actually some heritage in Tasmania, it’d be an absolute bonus, but it certainly will not be at the sacrifice of quality.”

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