THE Mount Gambier Pioneers Basketball Club has been dealt a devastating blow with the iconic regional team being rejected from playing in a semi-professional league in Victoria.
The Pioneers have now been locked out of playing in both Basketball Victoria’s elite league and now the “Big V” competition.
It is understood the club – which is fighting for its survival – was notified yesterday it would not be accepted into the Big V competition.
The Pioneers board last night held an emergency meeting as it scrambles to find a path forward.
Stunned board members were yesterday contacting players and club officials over the shock development, which now leaves the club with diminishing options.
The club had hoped to play in the lower league for 12 months to give it time to establish a competitive women’s league and then re-apply to the newly restructured senior elite league.
But it appears both Basketball Australia and Basketball Victoria are hell-bent on sounding the death knell of the Pioneers by closing avenues to a viable interstate elite competition.
Club president Tom Kosch said the organisation was notified yesterday its application for Basketball Victoria’s Big V competition was “not considered”.
He said this was despite Mount Gambier being presented with the opportunity to apply for Basketball Victoria’s Big V by the competition’s senior representative commission (SRC).
“The Pioneers application was also supported by Basketball Australia as being a positive way forward for the club after their application for the senior elite competition was denied,” Mr Kosch said.
He said the Basketball Victoria board had over ruled the SRC’s consideration of the Pioneers application, advising the Basketball Victoria board did not wish to change state-wide by-laws to accept a non-Victorian affiliated entity into its state league competition.
“The news that our application was not considered is hugely disappointing, once again we have been hugely let down by Basketball Australia’s decision to relinquish the SEABL competition,” Mr Kosch said.
“As a board we are forced toward the realisation that a sustainable and suitable competition for our basketball club may not exist.”
The Pioneers Basketball Club’s future has been unknown since Basketball Australia announced the organisation would abandon its administration of the South East Australian Basketball League in mid-August.
Mr Kosch said the Pioneers board was set to meet last night to discuss a plan moving forward and would provide a further update for the community in coming days.
The actions of Basketball Victoria and Basketball Australia have triggered angry comments from Member for Barker Tony Pasin and Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell.
Mr Pasin recently took the plight of the Pioneers to the floor of Federal Parliament.
Dozens of Pioneers supporters have also vented their outrage on social media.
