New National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester Completed

Manchester’s new National Basketball Performance Centre (NBPC) build is complete and preparations are underway for the official launch on Saturday 19th March.

The project, funded by Manchester City Council, Basketball England and Sport England, is situated as part of the new Belle Vue Sports Village complex in East Manchester and will be home to Basketball England’s national teams and performance programmes as well as a base for basketball clubs, schools, a centre for coach education, events, talent development and mass community participation programmes.

It becomes the second purpose built basketball facility in the UK completed in as many months, after Leicester Riders opened up the Leicester Community Sports Arena in January. It is the second basketball facility in Manchester, with the Amaechi Basketball Centre at Whalley Range School having been a hub for basketball in England since 2002.

The NBPC features a purpose built 3-court hall developed to FIBA standards for international competition. The centre show court, which has basketball lines only, also features FIBA scoreboards, 24 second cubes, red LED fitted backboards and Mondo baskets from London 2012 as part of Basketball England’s legacy agreement.

“We’re delighted with our partnership with Manchester City Council and Sport England that has created a state of the art facility for the game,” Basketball England CEO, Stewart Kellett commented.

“The National Basketball Performance Centre will provide a new hub for grassroots basketball and aid the development of our talented athletes. The facility will be home to our national teams and performance programmes, providing the best possible facilities to train and play in, preparing players for international competition.”

Each court has 6 full size baskets all of which are height adjustable; 4 practice baskets and 2 competition baskets. Additionally, the NBPC has TV broadcast capability and currently has 170 permanent seats with bleacher seating for 2000 being added later this summer.

It is understood the facility is branded in blue as opposed to Basketball England’s red due to blue being the official colour of Manchester City Council Sports.

The most basketball goals we have ever put in one room – 16 roof mounted. So cool! Hope you enjoy it @bballengland pic.twitter.com/Om07HgkDtC

— Continental Sports (@contisports) February 2, 2016

Improvements to the existing Belle Vue Leisure Centre includes a further 2 refurbished basketball courts, six changing rooms, two officials changing rooms, an expanded and upgraded public gym, dance studio and a meeting room.

Basketball England National Teams training camps have started this week with Under 15 boys, Under 15 girls, Under 16 women and Great Britain Senior Women all getting to test out the new facility, as the GB Senior Women will play the first competitive games there as they take on Albania on Saturday (7pm) and Montenegro on Wednesday, February 24 (7pm).

Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Rosa Battle added: “Manchester is a world-class city for sport with a long history in support for basketball in the heart of the east Manchester community. This new facility will undoubtedly add to Manchester’s reputation as a global sport destination, but the potential for grass-roots players to improve their game and rise to the upper echelons of the sport will be exceptional.

“Building on the recent opening of the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance, the new National Basketball Performance Centre will provide our communities and elite players exciting new opportunities to take part, develop their skills and improve their health.”