AUS - "Australia, a dominant nation for many years to come"

SYDNEY (FIBA World Championsip for Women) - Praise has been fullsome for Australia's Opals since their stunning victory at the recent FIBA World Championsip for Women. Only two weeks into his four-year term as the president of basketball's world governing body FIBA, Bob Elphinston was given the honour of presenting the gold medals to the Opals. The immediate past president of FIBA Oceania, Bob beamed with pride as he kissed and hugged each of the players as he presented them with their medal.

In a change of protocol, this year for the first time at FIBA events, medals were also awarded to the coaches of the three achieving teams and it was a special moment as Bob hung the gold medal around Australian coach Jan Stirling's neck.

Mr Elphinston sees Australia "as a nation dominant at this level for many years to come" in the women's game. A criticism of basketball in Australia in recent times has been a lack of marketing, but Elphinston said that will change.

"It's a tough scene in Australia. We have four or five non-Olympic sports that take up so much press, sponsorships and television," he said, referring to the rugby codes, AFL, cricket and motor sport.

"But we need to be able to stand on our own two feet. We're a prominent Olympic sport and we do very well in basketball.

"There's no reason why we can't be more aggressive in the market place. I guess it's in our hands to make that happen. This Opals team is a fantastic group, but it represents 10 to 15 years of hard work by many, many people, including the AIS and Australian Sports Commission in Canberra and the Australian Olympic Committee," Elphinston said.

Federal Australian Sports Minister Senator Rod Kemp, praised the role the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra played in developing the Opals squad.

"With all 12 members having at one point been through the AIS, it just shows how important it is to Australian sport," Kemp said.

Australian great Michelle Timms admitted she shed tears of joy and emotion when Australia defeated Russia.

While delighted with the Opals success, Timms has warned the Australians must be on their guard in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics following the US's absence from the gold-medal decider at the 2006 world championships.

"This sets us up for an interesting Olympics in Beijing," said Timms who captained the Opals during her long playing career and suited up 241 times for Australia.

"I think the Americans will now be hungrier than ever for a win.

"It makes it scary going into Beijing with the Americans losing. I'm sure they are already working on the process going into Beijing. They will be firmly focussed on getting that gold back."

Timms, who said she believes Australia would have beaten its US nemesis if it had made the final, was yesterday overwhelmed by the feats of the current Opals side.

"I'm just so proud of the girls. I'm still so excited. Every time I think about it I shed a tear," said the former Australia guard who also played and coached in the American Women's Basketball League.

"It makes me unbelievably proud being a past Opal.

"There wasn't one ego out there. They were just a team. Hats off to them.

"Two gold medals (Commonwealth Games and now world championships) in one year. It's not a fluke. They are the real deal."

"I'm so proud of them."

Opals coach Jan Stirling yesterday admitted she is well aware the US - along with a number of other nations including China (incidently coached by silver medal winning Australian coach Tom Maher at the Sydney Olympics), France, Czech Republic - will be doing their utmost to dethrone the Opals in the lead-up to and at Beijing.

"We will savour the moment but we can't stand still," she said.

Over 300 wellwishers mobbed the Opals as they returned to Sydney airport and the players had to edge their way through the proud and adoring crowd.

FIBA Oceania