Great Southern Basketball Tournament set to inspire young Indigenous players to healthier futures

Hundreds of enthusiastic basketballers from across the State will flock to Albany this weekend for the Great Southern Basketball Tournament to encourage and promote improved health among Indigenous Australians. The two-day event beginning on Saturday at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre will bring more than 400 children in 72 basketball teams from across WA. Teams from the Upper Great Southern, Esperance, Goldfields and Perth will make the journey south, with some players coming from Geraldton and the Kimberley. Each team will play four qualification games before finals begin at noon on Sunday, with each game consisting of two 10-minute halves. ALAC will host a range of health organisations, including St John and Asthma WA, giving players an opportunity to get advice and participate in health activities. The event is organised by Binar Futures. Founder Adam Desmond said it aimed to raise awareness of health problems, particularly asthma, in the younger Indigenous community. “When I look at the teams that we have and the kids that play, there’s always an asthma puffer on the bench,” Mr Desmond said. “There are always kids that suffer from asthma and I think there are also a lot of kids who are not even diagnosed or who slip through the cracks. “We’ve seen it happening many times over the years with the basketball teams, so I think having health providers set up for them to learn more and to understand there might be some symptoms that they can deal with is a really positive thing.” Asthma WA CEO Anne Hallam said promoting asthma lung testing was key, in particular with Indigenous Australians who were more likely to experience asthma than their non-Indigenous counterparts. “Indigenous Australians are twice as likely to have asthma and twice as likely to die from asthma than non-Indigenous Australians,” Ms Hallam said. “Together with Binar, we’re determined to improve the quality of life for Indigenous Australians. “Our focus is on improving the lives of people with respiratory health conditions and empowering these young athletes to reach their full potential.” The last time the tournament came to Albany was in 2022.