The British Basketball Federation and Basketball England have been awarded a combined £4.475 million primarily for 3×3 basketball in the period leading to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The British Basketball Federation (BBF) has been allocated £2.925million by UK Sport, while Basketball England is set to receive £1.55million from Sport England, aimed “primarily at boosting GB’s performance in the exciting 3×3 form of the game”.
Additional to the joint bid, Sport England has also invested £2.4m into BE’s England Talent Pathway for the 2024-2028 period, to support the development of players, coaches and professional staff through the junior ranks to elite level.
The awards – the first time UK Sport and Sport England have joined forces in this way – respond to an integrated plan put forward by the BBF and Basketball England.
“British Basketball has entered a new era,” BBF Chair Chris Grant said.
“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 development of a coherent player pathway that has clear performance standards and works towards a common goal. High quality development for coaches and professional staff sits alongside performance and player welfare as key themes in the strategic future of British Basketball.
“The additional funding from UK Sport and Sport England will enable us to take all of this to the next level. It is an exciting time for the sport.”
Along with its inclusion in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, 3×3 basketball is becoming an increasingly large focus of the federations.
Basketball NI Vice Chair Marc Mulholland said, “We are really excited to see this significant investment in basketball by UK Sport and Sport England, particularly in the dynamic 3×3 format. As the fastest-growing form of basketball globally, 3×3’s inclusion in the Olympics and its fast-paced, accessible nature make it an incredibly exciting development for the sport. It’s great to see basketball gaining recognition and funding, and we look forward to seeing how this investment will benefit the wider UK basketball community, including Scotland and Wales.
However, in Northern Ireland, with the lack of resources limited to just £25,000 for performance across Junior and Senior teams, we are concerned about the lack of equivalent investment in our region.
Despite our limited funding, we’ve already shown our capability this year by defeating GB at home in 3×3 this summer. This demonstrates the talent and potential we have here but sadly it continues to show the lack of faith in our sport from the funders.
With our grassroots programme running in partnership with JrNBA and our She Got Game Women in Sport Programme we know over the past number of years 3×3’s growth demonstrates its potential for engaging communities and elevating basketball’s profile, and we believe Northern Ireland can play a vital role in this movement— if we receive the necessary support.
With the Commonwealth Games 2026 on the horizon, it’s crucial that supporting our pathway is met with realistic support and resources so that Team NI 3×3 compete on a level playing field. Without similar financial backing, we risk being left behind despite having the talent and our proven ability to perform at the highest levels. This investment shows how positive collaboration between federations and government is hugely important it’s time the excuses stop and resources are found to support current and future athletes.
