GB Senior Squad Refuse to Play Victim to Funding Cuts

On the same day that the All-Party Parliamentary Group published their inquiry calling for a radical rethink in the funding of basketball in the UK, the GB Senior team that it is directly affecting are refusing to allow UK Sport’s complete withdrawal of funding earlier this year be the focus of their training camp that opened on Tuesday in Worcester.

“One of the things that has defined the GB programme, both men’s and women’s is resilience, and quiet determination to succeed,” said captain Drew Sullivan, talking from their Worcester training camp on Thursday afternoon.

“When you talk about the on court stuff, nothing’s changed. We’ve got first class coaches with seventeen sponges who just want to take everything in, learn and be competitive so that hasn’t changed.

“Obviously there’s some off the court stuff that’s noticeable but I’m a firm believer in you get the most out of what you have to work with. It would be very easy for any of us to complain and moan and what have you, but then you’re not helping the situation you’re just hurting the situation, bringing everyone down.

“Yes we’d all love to be in a 5 star hotel, of course, anyone would, but fact of the matter is that isn’t the case and one of the things I’ve always said, in my room the only thing I’m going to be doing is sleeping, so you give me a sleeping bag or the Hilton, at the end of the day I’m just going to be sleeping.

“We’ve got other things to worry about, sometimes you’ve got to play the hands that are dealt you and in situations like this you find out who are professionals and who aren’t. The good thing about this team is we have a bunch of professionals; so we’ll be ok.”

Meanwhile, team veteran Dan Clark, who will be amongst the squad’s leaders this summer followed his captain’s lead.

“The facilities we have here at Worcester University are great, the court, the weights, staying close to the facility as well which always helps,” he said.

“Obviously we’re going to notice it in some ways, maybe we’ll notice it when we travel, but so far things have been going well. People like Sinead (Gordon, British Basketball Operations Manager) and Mark Lloyd (Team Manager) are doing the best they can, it is what it is and the end of the day we’re here for one reason and that’s to play basketball.”

The team will open up their preparations for the Eurobasket Qualifiers next month with a double header against Latvia this weekend (15:00 BST, Saturday & Sunday at Worcester University Arena), and Head Coach Joe Prunty says they are embracing the challenge.

“There’s no doubt that it’s (the funding cut) impacted us tremendously. That’s not the issue, it definitely has. But at the end of the day we have a responsibility here, we’re trying to represent Great Britain the best way that we can, there are going to be challenges but you have to accept the circumstances you’re in.

“Right now we’re here, we’re excited to be here, we’re excited to put the uniforms on and we’re ready to go.”