NBA championship winner Matthew Dellavedova has spoken up for more than 40 Victorian teenagers who cant play at the national under-16 basketball championships due to a ruling from WA Health officials.
Basketball Victoria had worked for several weeks with the players, coaches and parents from the Vic Metro and Vic Country under-16 male and female sides to create a way the teenagers could be admitted to WA to play in the national titles set for July 4-11 in Perth.
But less than 24 hours before the teams were scheduled to travel to a school camp site in Bridgetown in country WA to quarantine for 14 days, the WA government nixed the plan citing concerns over the shared toilet and shower facilities.
Vic Country boys are one of four Victorian sides denied the chance to play at the under-16 nationals in WA next month. Jet Kneebone is pictured playing for Vic Country at the 2019 event.Credit:Basketball Victoria
Basketball Victoria had previously been assured by camp management that they had hosted other big groups for quarantine purposes while local police had cleared their arrival and the local hospital had agreed to do COVID-19 testing during their stay.
The travelling party of 70 had committed to more than 24 days away from home and would be playing despite the bulk of the group being unable to play or train regularly for over a month due to the recent lockdown in Victoria.
Mr Dellavedova, a former Vic Country player, urged authorities to find another way to allow the players to play at the nationals which were first run in 1955 and remain a springboard for many athlete athletes including NBA all-star Ben Simmons, AFL star Christian Petracca and Opals and WNBA star Liz Cambage.
This is really sad for the kids, has to be a better solution, Mr Dellavedova tweeted along with a broken heart emoji.
Victorian Acting Premier James Merlino said each state made its own health rules.
Its incredibly disappointing for the under-16 teams that were scheduled to go to Perth, Mr Merlino said.
Basketball Victoria got in touch with my office late yesterday [Thursday] and I completely understand their frustration.
Its inappropriate for me to have a go at public health advice in other jurisdictions. Theyre the rules that WA Health have set for anyone travelling in from Victoria for that event.
But I do understand their frustrations and Im dealing with this issue as education minister as we try to sort out how to play these kind of national, interstate events within our government school system.
Its a very hard thing to deliver in this current environment.
The WA government said the party of 70 players, coaches and parents would need to do hotel quarantine in WA at their own expense which was too expensive for many in the group with a combined cost of around $250,000.
Basketball Victoria chief executive Nick Honey said the association had received mixed messages from the WA government and his players were shattered to miss the event.
In spite of the best attempts of our staff and the amazing sacrifices made by players, coaches and parents alike, we were informed on Thursday evening that self-isolation at the nominated facility was no longer an option, Mr Honey said.
We were assured that this facility met the necessary standards for our 70-person travelling group to self-isolate and the teams have done everything in their power to get to Western Australia and abide by the rules.
It is disappointing for the Western Australian Government to send mixed messages and effectively stop our Victorian under-16 representatives from representing their state.