Basketball has received a huge boost thanks to a collaborative funding award from UK Sport and Sport England to the British Basketball Federation and Basketball England.
The British Basketball Federation (BBF) has been allocated £2.925 million by UK Sport for the period leading to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The award is augmented by Sport England’s announcement of an additional £1.55 million, channelled through Basketball England, which is aimed primarily at boosting GB’s performance in the exciting 3x3 form of the game. In total, this represents a more than threefold increase in public funding for elite basketball at GB level.
Sport England has also invested £2.4 million over four years into BE’s England Talent Pathway to support the development of players, coaches and professional staff through the junior ranks to elite level. The package represents an annual increase of 60% compared to the previous BE Talent award.
The awards - the first time UK Sport and Sport England have joined forces in this way - respond to an integrated plan put forward by the BBF and Basketball England. As well as building a world-class programme for 3x3, the format which made its Olympic debut at the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, the funding will contribute to sustaining Great Britain’s recent progress in the classic 5v5 form of the game.
Chair of Basketball England, Paul Blanchard, said: “This is a hugely important and exciting moment for basketball and the result of positive collaboration between the British Basketball Federation and Basketball England."
“The award is an indication of the faith in our shared vision for the game shown by our respective funding partners, UK Sport and Sport England."
“We at Basketball England, alongside our Home Country Association partners at Basketball Scotland and Basketball Wales, are looking forward to further cementing our working relationship with the BBF, to deliver the best possible results in developing talent via our aligned shared pathway as we embrace this opportunity.”
BBF Chair Chris Grant said: “British Basketball has entered a new era. This funding represents a vote of confidence in the work that we’ve already done to raise standards on and off the court, as well as an endorsement of our vision and plans to take GB Basketball to new heights.”
“Basketball is the second most-played team sport among young people, and nobody doubts that we have the talent to compete and win at the very highest levels. The key to success is the development of a coherent player pathway that has clear performance standards and works towards a common goal. High quality development for coaches and professional staff sits alongside performance and player welfare as key themes in the strategic future of British Basketball. The additional funding from UK Sport and Sport England will enable us to take all of this to the next level. It is an exciting time for the sport."
“The simultaneous announcement of additional investment from Sport England is ground-breaking and recognises the joined-up plan that we were able to present alongside Basketball England. We would also like to thank Basketball Wales and Basketball Scotland for the work that they are doing with us to ensure that we can identify and nurture future stars in both 5v5 and 3x3 basketball across all three nations.”
Phil Smith, Executive Director of Partnerships at Sport England, said: “The athletes that make it to the podium all start somewhere – and for many, that’s at their local grassroots club. So we’re delighted to be working in new ways with UK Sport, investing in new sports like 3x3 basketball and prioritising inclusion from the grassroots up, with the ambition that future Olympic and Paralympic GB teams reflect the great diversity of Great Britain.”
"The vision includes an ambitious programme for 3x3, building on the growing momentum the game already has at grassroots level and with its inclusion in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games – a welcome opportunity for players to compete for England, Scotland and Wales and one where England will aim for further medal success after winning gold and silver at Birmingham 2022."
"The longer-term goal is to compete for medal opportunities at World and Olympic levels."
Recent results in 5v5 include GB Women beating Denmark, as their campaign to qualify for next summer’s FIBA EuroBasket tournament remains on track. The GB men then turned heads around the world with victory over basketball superpower Greece in a sold-out Copper Box Arena on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
