Sport Focus - 12 Things You Didn't Know About Basketball
Basketball returns to the Commonwealth Games, after a 12 year absence, for Gold Coast 2018. As we conclude our Sport Focus here are 12 things you might not know about the sport:
1. Basketball is one of several optional sports at the Commonwealth Games, which the host nation can choose to add to the programme.
2. Gold Coast 2018 is only the second time that the Commonwealth Games has featured Basketball and Gareth Murray is set to become the first player to have represented Team Scotland in Basketball at two Commonwealth Games.
3. At Gold Coast 2018, 17-year old Callan Low will become the youngest Basketball player ever to take the court for Team Scotland at a Commonwealth Games.
4. Basketball at Gold Coast 2018 is spread across three Queensland venues and if the men reach the final they will have travelled a total distance of 22, 471 miles by the time they arrive back in Glasgow!
5. Scotland captain and Team GB Olympian, Kieron Achara, has a passion for playing Lawn Bowls and, had his dream of becoming a basketball player failed, he would have pursued bowls further.
6. Basketball has Scottish roots! In 1891, Dr James Naismith created the sport. Naismith was the son of Scottish parents and first created the game in Springfield, Massachusetts.
7. Scotland are set to face England in the opening game of the Gold Coast 2018 Basketball competition on 5 April in Townsville. Placed in Pool B, Scotland will then play Cameroon on 7 April and will conclude their pool matches against India on 8 April.
8. Team Scotland finished 6th in men’s Basketball at Melbourne 2006, with Australia taking the gold medal.
9. In Melbourne the medal winning nations were identical in both men’s and women’s competitions with hosts Australia taking gold, New Zealand silver and England bronze.
10. Basketball will feature in a new format at the 2022 Games in Birmingham with 3v3 and Wheelchair 3v3 making its Commonwealth Games debut.
11. Scotland got their Gold Coast preparation off to a flying start with a convincing 88-68 win over a Glasgow Rocks select on Sunday 4 March at Emirates Arena.
12. Team Scotland sends a strong squad of 12 to Gold Coast 2018 – meet the full team here.