Friday, 14 August, 2015 LABOR GOVERNMENT SLAM DUNKS ANOTHER MAJOR EVENT

Our NBA stars will wear green and gold on home soil when Australia takes on New Zealand this Saturday in another major event for Victoria.

The star-studded Boomers and World Number Two Opals will take to the Rod Laver Arena hardwood in front of a capacity crowd for the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championships, marking the first international encounter at the iconic venue in 15 years.

Australians are featuring in the NBA like never before, and world-recognised stars Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova and Cameron Bairstow are all taking part in this opportunity to witness at its very best.

Bronze medallists at last year’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, the Opals are coming off a three-game series win against Japan and can clinch automatic qualification for Rio with victory over the Tall Ferns. Triple Olympian and fellow veteran are both part of the squad.

Major events like these bring visitors to Victoria, keeping our bars and nightspots busy and our hotels full – and that means jobs and growth.

The Andrews Labor Government’s 2015-16 Victorian Budget includes an $80 million boost to Victoria’s major events war chest, so we can continue to attract the biggest and best lucrative events.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Sport, Tourism and Major Events John Eren

“Our homegrown stars Matthew Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut played key roles in the NBA playoffs, and this is a great opportunity to see them showcase their skills back home.”

“The Opals have won bronze medals at the 2012 Olympic Games and 2014 Women’s World Cup, and they’ll be aiming for gold at Rio.”

“We do major events best, and we want to stay that way. The biggest and best events mean more visitors, more jobs and a stronger state.”

Media Contact: Patrick Lane 0437 884 010 | [email protected]