GB Basketball will receive £1.18 million from Sport England and technical expertise from UK Sport in a bid to develop the sport in Britain.
Sport England has agreed to provide £1.18 million worth of public funding to GB Basketball to support the men, women’s, Under 20 men and Under 20 women’s teams.
The funding will contribute to the travel and coaching costs for the teams competing in international competition.
UK Sport has agreed to provide the GB Basketball with expert, technical advice on talent identification - helping athletes progress through the ranks; the development of coaches and in the areas of science, medicine and technology to support the sport’s performance at the elite level.
Chief Executive of UK Sport Liz Nicholl said: “UK Sport has been working closely with Sport England and DCMS to address the questions relating to the appropriate level of support to GB Basketball.
“We are delighted this has now been agreed with UK Sport’s technical expertise in high performance support complementing the investment from Sport England to help Basketball continue to progress to become more competitive at the elite level.”
Minister for Sport Helen Grant said: “I am delighted that Sport England and UK Sport have responded to my call to see what more we can do to support basketball in Britain. The sport has a huge potential to grow and I want there to be a route for young people taking up basketball in this country to get to the top. GB Basketball understands that with this funding and support it has to step up, but I am confident that the sport will do that.”
While the investment will enable the GB teams to continue to compete at an elite level, it will come with new and stronger conditions around the governance of the sport. Expert support from UK Sport will look to address the root causes of basketball's underperformance against its targets in previous years.
UK Sport will conduct reviews of the sport twice a year, as part of its UK Sport Mission 2016 process, to ensure the sport is progressing performance wise. GB Basketball staff will also have the opportunity to apply for UK Sport development opportunities around coaching and leadership.
British Basketball Performance Chairman Roger Moreland said: “The Minister has listened carefully to our case and I would like to thank her for the role she has played in brokering a solution.
“Sport England’s investment is most welcome and provides a vital platform on which to take the sport forward on and off the court for which we are very grateful. Together with the expertise of UK Sport, we look forward to building a better future together for a sport that not only means so much to so many, but also provides opportunity and aspiration for young people across Great Britain.”