FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 continues to deliver a lasting legacy

SYDNEY (Australia) - It was the most successful edition ever and the incredible FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 in Sydney, Australia is still delivering benefits to the New South Wales community. 

Since the development, approval, and successful execution of the tournament bid strategy, there has been significant emphasis on 'The Legacy Program'. Spanning from 2021 to 2023, it was specifically designed to align closely with FIBA's 'Women in Basketball' strategic priority.

Supported by FIBA and the NSW Government, the primary goals of the Legacy Program included promoting sport development, implementing programs that encourage female participation, facilitating leadership programs for women, promoting indigenous participation, and improving access to basketball for residents in regional and remote areas.

Two years on from the showpiece event which broke an array of engagement and attendance records, Basketball NSW (BNSW) have outlined the tremendous benefits the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup has helped to bring. 

Not least, unprecedented growth included a 23 percent increase in total female participants, a 50 percent growth in Indigenous participants, and more than a 75 percent increase in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse participants.

'I Am A Girl' program at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022

Achievements of the Legacy Program include: 

•  A total of 35,158 people participated in activations.

•  The 'I Am A Girl' program ran 236 'Come 'N' Try' clinics, reaching 10,104 girls under the age of 18 across the state. Almost 8,000 (79 percent) of the participants were trying basketball for the first time, with 1,718 (17 percent) now regularly playing as BNSW members.

•  99 percent of BNSW Associations ran an 'I Am A Girl' Clinic, demonstrating their willingness and enthusiasm to adopt popular community programs and support the growth of women and girls in basketball.

•  5058 children participated in our Community Camps, 176 percent above the initial Program target.

•  BNSW ran 41 3x3 Hustle Tournaments, well above the 24 scoped, to give just under 3,000 kids the chance to experience the newer, more flexible format. 46 percent of participants identified as Indigenous, the highest of any program, demonstrating how well the product resonates with the Indigenous community and its potential for growth in the future.

•  75.9 percent growth in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) participants across the three-year period. The CaLD community now makes up 7.4% of our total participants (up from 5.9%) and are a key growth target for coming years.

•  50 percent increase in Indigenous participants across the three years, up from 2,438 in 2020 to 3,657 in 2023.

•  14 percent of participants have become regular basketball consumers by joining BNSW affiliated member associations. This number is even more impressive if activations held at schools are considered.

The ultimate success of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 was also pivotal in funding an additional elite women's basketball opportunity within the Legacy Program funding period – namely,  the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2023.

Maria Nordstrom, CEO of Basketball NSW commented: "To watch our ambitions and vision for this program come to life over the last three years has been incredibly rewarding, and the results are proof that it’s just the beginning for the sport of basketball in New South Wales.

"Born as a major component of the successful bid for Sydney to host the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022, and made possible thanks to the investment and overall support of the NSW Government via the Office of Sport, the Legacy Program 2021-2023 has positively impacted over 30,000 people across the state.

"With the learnings of the past three years to guide us, we're more confident than ever of the impact we, and the sport of basketball, can have on our target communities."

Legacy programs continued at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2023

Melissa King, the CEO of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Local Organizing Committee added: "The support of BNSW and the basketball community was instrumental in delivering the outstanding result of the most attended FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in history and moreover being a part of amplifying the sport of basketball to more women and girls in NSW and around the country."

Moving forward, the collective success of the Legacy Program driven by the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 has enabled Basketball New South Wales to pour that momentum into a new Legacy Programs in 2024 and 2025 - again  with the support of the NSW Government. 

Meanwhile a new FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup legacy will soon start being built in Germany, the scene of the next edition in 2026. 

The full report can be found here. 

FIBA