GB Basketball Resurgent as UK Sport Funding Announced

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.

This award – the first time that UK Sport and Sport England have joined forces in this way – responds 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.

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 building of a coherent player pathway across England, Scotland and Wales. High quality development for coaches and professional staff sits alongside performance and player welfare as key themes in the strategic future of British Basketball. This increase in funding will enable us to take all of this to the next level. It is an exciting time for the sport.”

Grant added: “The simultaneous announcement of additional investment from UK Sport and Sport England is ground-breaking and recognises the joined-up approach 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.”

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.”