An Irish men’s senior basketball team will be revived in 2015 and be involved in qualifiers for the sport’s World Cup.
Speaking yesterday to prominent Basketball website BallinEurope.com, Basketball Ireland CEO Bernard O’Byrne revealed that this is the culmination of a two year plan following the disbandment of the international teams in 2010 over funding issues.
“In any sport the thing that sells it is the green shirt, it’s playing for Ireland. With FIBA restructuring World Cup qualification, it will bring top class teams here to Ireland.”
Plans are also being made to revive the Women’s Senior team and to bid for a European Championship Finals at either U16 or U18 inside the next four years.
These are positive times for the sport with an expanding Premier League in the domestic game and enhanced media coverage throughout the course of the past two years.
Having had financial problems in the past, and a backlash from funding authorities over misuse of capital grants, it has very much put its house in order and was rewarded with the presence of Minister for State Michael Ring at the bid for the FIBA Assembly and at January’s Super League Finals.
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