Basketball NSW held its fourth annual Parliamentary Friends of Basketball luncheon last week at NSW Parliament House. This exclusive event was attended by representatives from the NSW Government and co-chaired by Member for Wahroonga Alister Henskens MP, Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch MP, and Scott Farlow MLC, who all spoke passionately about the growth of basketball in NSW, the success of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022, and their excitement for the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, which starts this week.
One of the highlights of the event was the special guest speech by Australian basketball legend and Olympic medalist Lauren Jackson AO OLY. She spoke about the growth of female participation in basketball and the newly formed She Hoops initiative, which aims to ensure the sport is accessible to everyone in the community.
Maria Nordstrom, CEO of Basketball NSW, expressed her gratitude to the NSW Government for their support in the game’s sustainability and growth.
“The Parliamentary Friends of Basketball group provides an invaluable opportunity to discuss the community benefits of basketball with politicians and gather support from members within Parliament,” said Nordstrom.
“Basketball in NSW has over 330,000 participants, and with the NSW Governments’ investment into our Legacy Programs, we are encouraging more and more people to play the sport, especially young females and participants in the multicultural space. Our collaboration with Lauren Jackson and the She Hoops platform will assist in reaching more.”
“Overall, the luncheon was a great success, celebrating the achievements of basketball in our state and the efforts being made to ensure a bright future for the game with the help of the NSW Government.”
The Legacy Program is supporting the New South Wales Governments Strategic Focus on women and girls in sport through the ‘Her Sport Her Way’ program and basketball’s goal to move towards gender equality.
Click HERE to view photos from the event.
About She Hoops:
She Hoops strives to empower women in basketball through visible pathways, mentoring, connection, insights, participation and education. Free and virtual events and resources make She Hoops accessible for all.
We provide an inclusive and safe space for women to access resources giving them the confidence to participate, contribute and thrive at all levels of our sport.
Click HERE to learn more.