NZL national secondary school's basketball participation up by 105 percent since 2011

NEW ZEALAND -- Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) revealed that a record 385 school teams registered for their secondary school basketball tournament marking an impressive 105% increase in participation for the division since 2011.

BBNZ Chief Executive, Iain Potter reiterated that the growth of basketball in the country is a testament to the immense potential of the game in New Zealand.

"There’s no particular spike happening here, it’s simply that more kids are enjoying the game and keen to take up any opportunity provided to them to step on the court," said Potter.

"But we also have to give direct credit to the schools, they are the ones really stepping up to the challenge. The parents, teachers, and coaches volunteer a lot so these players can get to these events," he added.

According to an earlier report by New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council (NZSSSC), basketball will be the number one secondary school's sport in NZL by 2020.

FIBA Oceania Executive Director, David Crocker shared his enthusiasm with the work of Basketball New Zealand and pointed out their outstanding work with the partners.

"The remarkable growth of basketball in New Zealand is a testament to the exemplary work of BBNZ. For years, New Zealand is a country dominated by Rugby and to see the growth in the grassroots level proves how the federation has been doing a great job with the stakeholders and their evolving projects and programs," said Crocker, who was previously the Chief Executive Officer of BBNZ from 2000 to 2006.

NZSSSC Executive Director Garry Carnachan pleasantly shared his astonishment in the growth of basketball.

"With record numbers entering the NZSSSC Winter Tournament Week events this year, all of the traditional offerings at both Senior and Junior levels have been oversubscribed," said Carnahan.

"It has been great to work with BBNZ in developing additional tournaments at a level that will also better meet the needs of more schools. This influx of participants at the grassroots level of basketball bodes well for a great future of the game in New Zealand," he added.

"We are going to need more facilities, more hours spent administering tournaments and teams, more referees, volunteers and people to help run these tournaments, but it’s a great problem to have," added Potter.